Naomi Osaka stuns Wimbledon crowd in white kimono drawn from Kill Bill

LONDON (AP): Naomi Osaka made another bold fashion splash at the All England Club on Monday, stepping onto the grass in a flowing white kimono even though Wimbledon enforces strict all-white clothing rules.

The four-time Grand Slam champion has built a reputation for eye-catching entrances at major tournaments. For her first-round match against Elsa Jacquemot on No. 3 Court, she wore a robe with wide swinging sleeves and detailed embroidery.

Osaka won comfortably, 6-1, 7-5. In an on-court interview afterwards, she said the look reflected both her Japanese heritage and one of her favourite films.

"For me, my Japanese heritage means a lot. They say all white at Wimbledon, and I thought it would be really cool to come out in a kimono," Osaka said. "I just get inspired by a lot of different things, and for me, one of my favourite movies is Kill Bill. So I really love Lucy Liu's character, O-Ren Ishii, and she comes out in this really iconic white kimono. I always tell people I like to be like a video game character sometimes. I don't want to be myself when I'm playing on the court. And I kind of try to embody her a little."

The entrance drew loud approval. Spectators held up phones to record her walk-on, and one woman shouted, "C'mon queen!"

Former top-ten player Alicia Molik, commentating for the BBC, said fans had been waiting to see what Osaka would wear. "It's something that we've been waiting for all day, right, what Naomi Osaka is going to appear in at Wimbledon," Molik said.

Osaka kept the kimono on while she bounced on her toes at the net, listening to instructions from the chair umpire. She removed it and placed it on her chair only when warm-ups began.

Players have long used Wimbledon to make fashion statements. On the same day, seven-time men's champion Novak Djokovic walked onto Centre Court in a white blazer with green details.

Even so, Osaka's walk-ons have become a much-anticipated part of Grand Slam events and other major appearances.

At this year's Australian Open, she entered wearing a wide-brim hat, a veil, and carrying a white parasol. At the French Open, she came out in a ceremonial black skirt and sleeveless beaded bodice, which she removed to reveal a sequined gold playing dress. At the Met Gala in New York, she wore an edgy white sculptural fitted dress by Robert Wun, with exaggerated shoulders, red feathers, a matching headpiece, and two-toned red gloves.

Because No. 3 Court lies away from the main stadium, Osaka had to cross part of the Wimbledon grounds to reach it, giving some fans an early look at the outfit.

"I could feel, when I walked by someone, they would physically turn their whole body," Osaka said. "I thought that was really fun."

Fellow players have also been curious about the garment. "I got asked if I only have one, because it's all white, and what happens if I stain it," she said.

At her post-match news conference, Osaka added more colour to reflect the Haitian side of her heritage. She wore a red-and-blue Haiti football jersey after the country returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

"I felt really proud of them," she said.