Why Naomi Osaka is late to arrive at the 2026 Italian Open

Post childbirth, Naomi Osaka has embraced playing on clay and does it well. Last year, “Clayomi” advanced to the Italian Open fourth round.

Osaka has not been spotted in Rome practicing in the days before the main draw gets underway (officially on May 5) for the simple reason that she is not there yet.

She is arriving late for good reason, but that does not mean it won’t be a stressful week.

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Where is Osaka

Osaka is in New York City preparing for Met Gala 2026 which takes place Monday evening May 4. This is the event of the year where fashion, culture, and philanthropy intersect. This year’s theme is “Costume Art,” and the dress code is “Fashion is Art.”

We have seen Osaka’s fashion creativity on the court with her Nike tennis kits and walk on court costumes so we can hardly wait to see what she wears at Met Gala where nothing is considered too elaborate or outlandish.

Venus Williams is a celebrity co-chair. Tennis players will be in attendance to support her. Besides Osaka, the others are most likely retired or not planning to play in Rome.

Serena Williams co-chaired in the past, and Maria Sharapova has attended on occasion.

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Osaka has first round bye

The only reason Osaka is able to make this logistical challenge work is because she has a first round bye. First round matches span a three-day window from May 5-7.

Osaka will play the winner of the Katie Boulter and Eva Lys Round of 128 match later in the week.

There is no room for error or delay in Osaka’s ambitious schedule. She will not have much time to acclimate to the time change in Rome (6 hours ahead from New York City) or to log practice time on the court.

Watch Osaka and the others arrive on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s steps for fashion’s big night on E! televised live at 6 PM EDT or streaming at 5:30 PM EDT on May 4.