Apart from defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, Naomi Osaka has been the talk of the town with her stylish kimono-inspired outfit, wedding dress-train and a robe paying homage to her Japanese heritage.

Beyond that, Osaka actually revealed that her Wimbledon Kimono is inspired by one of the Big 3 of anime, Tite Kubo's Bleach.

"The kimono... we had to get it from Japan... there's this anime called Bleach. It's one of my favorites. I don't want to bore you, but anyway, I feel like I'm channeling a character from that whenever I wear the kimono in that way." Osaka said during her post-match press conference after defeating Elsa Jacquemot.

Osaka's Wimbledon fashion shows followed the Eiffel Tower-themed outfit she wore at the French Open and a jellyfish-related dress at the Australian Open.

Born in Osaka, Japan, the World No. 14 was raised between the cultures of Haitian, Japanese, and American.

In addition, Osaka’s life is shaped by the worlds of anime and gaming, and she has specific tastes in them. She prefers the original Naruto series over the more popular Shippuden as her comfort show, relating most to the character of Shikamaru and his quiet power.

While such a mix of cultures has quietly anchored her since childhood,  she is planning to take a more low-key approach heading into the business end of the tournament.

And Osaka will need to be in full focus for her quarter-final matchup, as she faces World No. 9 Karolina Muchova.

Naomi Osaka vs Karolina Muchova Preview

For entering her first Wimbledon quarter-final, Osaka is rewarded with a rematch of her Bad Homburg final against Muchova, which ended with the Japanese international being forced to retire with an ankle injury.

Muchova's game has always flourished on grass, with her variety and change of pace ostensibly giving her an edge. However, physical limitations have meant that the three-time WTA titleholder has failed to build on a strong start to her Wimbledon career.

While Osaka is no Federer on grass as well, beating the World No. 1 certainly gives you a mental advantage against your opponent.

With the record tied 3-3 in head-to-head, Osaka will look to take the lead against Muchova to match last year's semi-final run at the US Open.

So, can Naomi Osaka go all the way to claim her fifth Grand Slam title? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy