Former world No 1 Naomi Osaka made another dazzling entry at the French Open on Thursday, but she was made to work hard to avoid the exit door in a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 victory over Croatian Donna Vekic in the second round.
The No 16 seed's outfit for her first-round match drew plenty of attention - but left her opponent unimpressed: Germany's Laura Siegemund after exiting the tournament in a straight-sets defeat to the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Osaka wore a sequined waistcoat blouse and black mesh train over her layered yellow-brown and gold match dress in the opening round, and despite the criticism arrived for the contest with Vekic in a white floor-length flared train over her outfit.
"I like to keep people on their toes. I think it's really fun," Osaka said following her second-round victory.
"There's a community that I feel like has been built over my on-court outfits, so I just like to keep you guys guessing. I really enjoy that you guys enjoy it."
Unlike Siegemund, Vekic has no issue with Osaka's eye-catching entrances, saying: "It's good that she's doing different things, expressing herself through fashion.
"Whether it's good (fashion) or bad, that's a different thing, it's fashion.
"Some people take tennis way too seriously. Relax, it's just an outfit. It's not such a big deal. She has the opportunity to do that so why not?"
On another blazing hot day in Paris, the Japanese player traded breaks freely with Vekic in the opening set on Court Simonne-Mathieu, before finding her best form during the tie-break to prevail for the loss of only one point.
Osaka saved a break point in the second set to close out the win in one hour and 50 minutes, reaching the third round for the first time since 2019.
She will face 16th-seed Iva Jovic next after the American beat compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0 6-3 earlier.
Earlier this year at the Australian Open, Osaka walked on wearing a wide-brim hat, a veil and holding a white parasol.
And at last year's US Open, she had sparkly red roses in her ponytail above her red outfit and even a matching Labubu that she named 'Billie Jean Bling'.
So how does Osaka switch her focus from her grand entrances to playing a tennis match minutes later?
"I'm a little used to it now," she said. "The US Open, the roses in my hair, that's when I started to really get into it a lot more. Obviously with Australia, that was a real conversation starter. So I don't really feel like it's too much of a big deal to do that and then play after.
"Athletes are in show business. Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I'm an entertainer."
Speaking after the match, Osaka also gave an account of a car accident she was involved in in Paris, as a bus reversed into the vehicle she was travelling in.
"I wasn't scared for my life, but I was just like: 'Whoa, this bus is really backing up into us', and you could hear the car crunching. Yeah, that was a really interesting situation. So I hope it doesn't happen again today."
Osaka was also asked about reports that 23-time major winner Serena Williams is set to come out of retirement to play doubles at Queen's and return to Wimbledon, a tournament she won seven times, next month.
"The scope of it, I think it will bring people to watch tennis, which she always does bring an audience with her. So, yeah, I think it's good", said Osaka about the 44-year-old American.
"I feel like for me everyone knows Serena and Venus (Williams) were my role models growing up, so it's going to be cool to see her on the grounds again."
British interest in singles at the French Open ended in the second round with defeat for Katie Boulter against Anastasia Potapova.
Boulter might have feared the worst when her match was moved from its original court six to court 13, where Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie and Fran Jones had already lost.
The British No 3 put up a good fight against 28th seed Potapova, who is one of the most in-form players on the WTA Tour, and won the first set.
But the Russian-turned-Austrian hit back strongly to claim a 5-7 6-4 6-2 victory and set up a third-round clash with defending champion Coco Gauff.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Coco Gauff both moved into the last 32 with straight-sets wins.
Sabalenka came through a tough first set against France's Elsa Jacquemot before pulling away to win 7-5 6-2 while Gauff saw off Mayar Sherif 6-3 6-2.
Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova only needed to spend 25 minutes on court, taking the first set 6-0 against Julia Grabher before the ailing Austrian called it a day.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, live on Your Site or and the , giving Your Site customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.
