A year ago, still on maternity leave and unsure when she would play elite tennis again, Naomi Osaka visited the US Open for a discussion about mental health. While at the site, she sat in the stands to watch one of Coco Gauff’s matches.

Osaka was already thinking about being back on a court at Flushing Meadows, so much so that she was pondering what she might want to wear. And there she was at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday, overpowering No. 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 while decked out — from her visor to her dress to the bows on her back and attached to her shoes — in lime green, and playing very much like a two-time champion here.

“I feel like being able to be a part of (designing) my tennis outfits gives me, I would say, a different strength, especially the US Open outfits. I feel like they are a little bit more flamboyant. When I was putting on my outfit today (Tuesday), I was, like, Ah, I hope this isn’t too much,’” Osaka, a former No. 1, said. “Because I had the tutu, and then I had the bow jacket and it was green. I feel like everyone was staring at me.”

Another player asked for a photo, and Osaka said: “I hope it was a positive picture (and) it wasn’t, like, Oh, my God, look at her.’ For me, when I put on the outfit, it’s almost like a super suit, so I try to channel that.”

It did so well enough. The 26-year-old registered her first win over a top-10 opponent in more than four years.

Osaka claimed titles in New York in 2018 and 2020, along with a pair at the Australian Open (2019 and 2021), and her match-up against 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko marked the first time two past major champs faced off in the opening round at the US Open since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova five years ago.

Osaka's shoes too sport pair of green bows on the back heel, in a picture shared on X.

“Having two wins here means a lot, and I think for me,” said Osaka, who returned to action at the Australian Open in January, her first grand slam appearance in nearly one-and-a-half years. “This time now forces me to look in the mirror and say, Hey, you’ve done really well here. There’s no reason why you can’t do well again.’”

How’s this for doing well? Osaka did not make a single unforced error in the first set and finished with only five, 16 fewer than Ostapenko.

“I do remember thinking, I need to win this match so I can wear my other colour.’ That was very important to me,” said Osaka, who is ranked 88th and received a wild-card invitation from the US Tennis Association. “I guess you’ll see my other colour next time.”

She is up next on Thursday against 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova, who beat USA’s Katie Volynets 6-3, 7-5.

AP/PTI