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Naomi Osaka brought a good luck charm to the court, and it paid off.
The Japanese tennis star hit the court at the 2022 Australian Open on Wednesday. She claimed victory over Madison Brengle, 6-0, 6-4, in the second round of the women’s draw. For the match, Osaka wore a Nike set, including a tank top and tennis skirt with shorts underneath. The matching set was mostly hot pink with touches of indigo, white and aqua blue. She tied her hair up and added a white Nike visor.
Osaka slipped into matching tennis shoes for her game. She wore her own Nike sneakers, the NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo Naomi Osaka, in an unreleased colorway. The aqua sneakers featured indigo, white and pink pieces, and a butterfly graphic on the outsole to bring her luck.
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Last year, during her most recent Grand Slam match, the tennis pro had a memorable encounter with a butterfly. The critter fluttered around her racket and even landed on her face, so Osaka paused her match and helped escort the butterfly to safety. Since then, the butterfly has become almost an unofficial good luck charm for Osaka, prompting her to don the custom Nike butterfly shoes during her match.
After losing in the third round of the U.S. Open last summer, Osaka took a few months away from tennis to focus on her mental health. She returned to competition earlier this month at the Melbourne Summer Set as a tune-up for the Australian Open. The 24-year-old is the reigning Aussie Open champion and a two-time Australian Open champion overall during her career.
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