Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have become the latest talking point on the Megyn Kelly Show, where television host Rob Finnerty left no stone unturned in critiquing the WTA duo, arguing that many modern tennis players are prioritizing fashion over sports, while also describing the two as being part of a “generation of weaklings.”
Megyn Kelly hosted Rob Finnerty for a tennis segment on her show, and the two discussed the recent, high-fashion display at the opening of Wimbledon. Kelly immediately went for Osaka and critiqued her “all-white kimono-style” dress and argued that it was all about glorifying her fashion game rather than letting her tennis do the talking.
“I don’t respect Naomi Osaka,” said Kelly after interpreting Osaka’s fashion statement as a sign of wanting attention rather than possessing the mental grit of a player who is completely focused on winning a match.
Finnerty seconded Kelly’s remarks and broadened the criticism by pointing out that modern players like Osaka and Gauff have shifted most of the attention from tennis to off-court image. He compared them to the past legends, whom he said were solely driven to win matches.
“First of all the outfit, you normally would just wear your athletic gear when you arrive and you get ready, and when you come out, like when you look at Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Rafael Nadal; all they wanted to do was beat each other.”
Finnerty continued:
“Now you look at Coco Gauff, and you look at the competitors on the women’s side and the men’s side, and it’s like this generation of weaklings who can’t do a press conference, who are making millions of dollars off the court in endorsements, and they’re not there for the fans, they’re like ‘Look at me flowing Robes.’ how do you expect people to react to that? If you were there with your kids, how do you explain that? ‘well, i guess because she is wearing that, we need to honor that.”
Naomi Osaka’s Bold 2026 Grand Slam Fashion Journey
Since the 2019 US Open, Naomi Osaka has been making extravagant entrances in tennis tournaments, using fashion as a form of expressing statements that she would otherwise not do so via words. Her 2026 Grand Slam season has continued that tradition, as Osaka once again made sure that her chosen outfits spoke beyond their physical beauty.
In January, at the Australian Open, Osaka walked out wearing a jellyfish-inspired gown, supplemented with a brimmed hat that took the crowd by storm. Then, at Roland Garros, the Japanese icon entered the red clay wearing a gold “Eiffel Tower”-themed dress that sparkled clearly enough through the hot surface of Paris.
Most recently, Osaka embraced Wimbledon’s all-white code and wore a kimono-style gown, inspired by Lucy’s character in the movie “Kill Bill.”
Read more:
Coco Gauff Fundamentally Disagrees With Aryna Sabalenka As World No. 1 Begs Wimbledon To Change Rule
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