Top tennis player Naomi Osaka has impressed fans with her collection of bedazzled, custom Labubus which she brought on court at the US Open this week.
On Tuesday the Japanese two-time US Open champion arrived on court wearing a bejewelled red jacket and matching shoes from Nike.
Her navy duffel bag featured a bedazzled Labubu key ring sporting a red jacket and blue racket to match Osaka’s own.
After winning her first round, Osaka presented her custom Labubu, named “Bille Jean Bling”, a play on the name of legendary former number one American tennis player Billie Kean King who won 39 Grand Slam titles during her career.
Following her custom Labubu debut, Osaka presented a second toy which she called her “day Labubu” on court on Thursday after winning a match against Hailey Baptiste, taking her to the third round of the US Open.
Osaka’s new sparkly Labubu matched her purple Nike outfit, which she wore with a bubble skirt, a silhouette on trend at the moment.
Her second Labubu, “Arthur Flash”, was another play on words, named after legendary tennis player Arthur Ashe, the only black tennis player to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open, who passed in 1993.
Osaka’s commitment to bringing style to the court follows in the footsteps of tennis legend Serena Williams, also sponsored by Nike, known for her iconic outfit of a denim skirt and studded top which she wore when competing at the 2004 US Open.
Labubu dolls were created in 2019 after Korean artist Kasing Lung made a deal with toy manufacturer Pop Mart to sell his fuzzy monsters which first featured in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015.
The fuzzy toothy grinned dolls garnered viral popularity after celebrities including Dua Lipa and Rihanna started wearing them.
Labubu stock from retailer Pop Mart often sells out instantly, with many collectors competing to buy them on re-sale markets where items which usually retail for around £17.50 sell for up to £600 on platforms like eBay and Vinted.
New versions of the dolls, including a mini toy and one which stands at over a foot tall, were released in the UK on Friday at 12.00.
The new collections went on sale in China at 10pm on Thursday and sold out almost instantly online.
