Naomi Osaka was all smiles on Saturday while celebrating her win at the 2021 Australian Open.
The 23-year-old tennis sensation beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 at the Australian Open final, marking her second Australian Open win and fourth Grand Slam title.
While posing for pictures with her trophy at the Government House in Sydney, Osaka also stepped into her new role as Louis Vuitton’s House ambassador. She sported a colorful blouse and chain link bag from the label, as well as its buzzy Archlight sneakers, featuring a wave-shaped outsole, blue side stripes and low-cut ankle.
In a statement released in January, the Japanese-American star expressed her excitement at taking on the role. “Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion; and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton,” she said. “It is such an honor to work with Nicolas — he’s a designer I admire so much and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style. To become a global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”
Coinciding with the announcement, Osaka appeared in the brand’s spring 2021 campaign wearing a vibrant mini dress featuring bold graphic prints.
Watch on FN
In addition to being a world-famous tennis star and style savant (she’s also a Nike brand ambassador and has teamed up with Nike and Commes Des Garcons on two sneaker collaborations), Osaka is an advocate for social justice. In August 2020, she revealed her intention of withdrawing from the semifinal of the Western and Southern Open following the shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23. And on day one of the U.S. Open in September, Osaka drew attention to the killing of Breonna Taylor by wearing a face mask adorned with her name.
The multi-hyphenate also uses her style to highlight her Haitian roots. She sported a kente cloth headwrap while collecting her trophy at the U.S. Open. And in November, she shared an Instagram photo of herself wearing a vibrant yellow dress from Pyer Moss’ spring 2020 collection. (Kerby Jean-Raymond, the designer behind Pyer Moss, is also Haitian-American.)
To support young women, Osaka teamed up with Nike to launch Play Academy with Naomi Osaka – a girls-only sports program in partnership with Nike and Laureus Sport for Good. The program, Osaka said in an op-ed, aims to “level the playing field by changing the game for girls.”
