Resplendent in red, Osaka races into US Open second round

NEW YORK :Naomi Osaka turned heads on Tuesday, stepping on court in a dazzling crystal-encrusted red Nike outfit before dismantling Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4 to reach the U.S. Open second round at Flushing Meadows.

The twice champion made her Louis Armstrong Stadium entrance with an elaborate rose-adorned ponytail that she later ditched for practicality, but not before making a statement at the floodlit evening session.

"I just thought it would be really fun to do a New York under the lights," Osaka said of her custom-designed ensemble. "This is my night outfit, so hopefully I'll wear my day outfit next time."

The 23rd seed's theatrical presentation extended beyond fashion, with her bag featuring a small Labubu charm she dubbed "Billie Jean Bling, not Billie Jean King" in her on-court interview. 

"I was not expecting everyone to like Billie Jean Bling. I'm glad she made people laugh today," she said.

Beneath the glitz and glamour lay familiar pre-match jitters for the 27-year-old mother. 

"I could have had a better attitude. Like, I was just very stressed. It was the first round, and this tournament means a lot to me," Osaka said. "I wish I had thought more about the process rather than the result, but I'm glad I was able to win."

The nerves showed at the start but ultimately not in her statistics - seven thunderous aces, zero break points faced in the second set, and a perfect six-for-six conversion on break chances in a match she wrapped up in 83 minutes.

Minnen, ranked 106th, was ultimately undone by 30 unforced errors against Osaka's relentless baseline power.

"I feel like she was more aggressive than I anticipated. I was a little overwhelmed at times, but I just tried to make her keep playing one more shot," Osaka