By Amy-Jo Crowley

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka and her Kill Bill-inspired kimono-inspired entrance weren't the only ones to steal the show at Wimbledon, as Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz also turned heads at the All England Club, where male players and their sponsors seize the opportunity to make a statement.

Djokovic has made a habit of entering the court wearing a jacket and shorts bearing his personal signature from the Lacoste brand, while Fritz wears a white cotton jacket from Hugo Boss, long trousers, and a white silk scarf.

“This is the first tournament where the men have really raised the bar in this aspect, which is exciting,” Joel Mikloff, head of design at Wilson sportswear, told Reuters, noting that it highlights a growing trend among male players to use clothing as a means of self-expression.

"They see what's happening now...and are looking forward to these historic moments at Wimbledon," added Mikhailov, who works with clients including Australian Alex de Minaur, ranked fifth, and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, ranked 12th.

Fritz: Performance must match appearance.

Although Wimbledon is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments that requires players to wear all white, limiting the colorful designs seen at the other major tournaments, Wimbledon has been the scene of many famous fashion moments, including the all-white one-piece suit designed by Briton Ted Tenling in 1985, and Swiss maestro Roger Federer’s jacket in 2007.

For Fritz, ranked sixth, this eye-catching entry carries a particular risk.

Fritz said, "I really prefer to stay calm and focused. You can't go onto the court in an outfit like that and then be eliminated in the first round; it would look very bad."

Fortunately, Fritz made his way to the third round without losing a set, so when he takes off his long pants with side buttons for easy removal, ready to play in shorts for matches, he manages to keep his cool so far.

* Opportunity for sponsors

According to Mikloff, sponsors are increasingly using the moment players enter the court at Wimbledon as a marketing opportunity. "The relationship between the athlete and the brand is what is really being embodied here, and that is the new and transformative thing," she said.

Nike and Osaka’s team posted videos and photos on social media of her kimono-inspired arrival before her first match, while Hugo Boss promoted Fritz’s suit.

Kostyuk also collaborated with Wilson to present her second version of "Martha's Dress" ahead of Wimbledon.

"There is also a great opportunity now to showcase the player's personality and style, both on and off the field," Mikhailov said.

Djokovic, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles, received extensive media coverage after his crushing victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday, when he challenged Rory McIlroy to a tennis match and joked with the golfer that his jacket should rival the famous "green jacket" awarded to the Masters winner, amid smiles exchanged between the pair from the main court and the Royal Box.

Fritz told reporters, "Boss arranged all of this. They're my sponsor and they wanted me to do it. I thought the outfit looked good, so we were going to do it either way."

*This trend has deep roots

Mikhailov continued, saying that some male players are becoming more involved in the design process, giving their opinions on everything from fabrics and colors to neck cuts and sizes.

Speaking about Russian player Karen Khachanov, who also qualified for the third round, she said, "For example, Karen wants to discuss everything. He wants to be fashionable, but he also cares about how that affects his performance."

But these designs do not always succeed in gaining approval, as Italian Matteo Berrettini, who previously reached the sixth position in the world, said that the Wimbledon tournament management rejected his outfit.

"It wasn't white enough," Perettini said. "There was an alternative option, but they wouldn't let me wear it."

Mikhailov likened Fritz and Djokovic's outfits to those worn by Federer, although this trend has deeper roots that extend back to tennis legends of the 1960s and 1970s.

"Think of Arthur Ashe and the style of his clothing, and how he looked, and that was a long time before what we see today, but it is the momentum and the reach that have changed," she said.

Fritz agreed with this view, telling reporters, "I think the women have made bigger leaps in stadium entrance outfits, turning it into something resembling a product line show."

"It's wonderful and exciting, and we'll see if men follow suit more in the future."

*Viewing Osaka's fashion as a "historic moment"

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka has raised the bar for fashion at all four majors this year, wearing a black Kevin Germaner skirt at the French Open before revealing a multi-layered, yellow-brown and gold Nike match dress inspired by the nighttime sparkle of the Eiffel Tower.

She also turned heads with a jellyfish-inspired outfit as she entered the court at the Australian Open.

The 14th-ranked player returned to showcase her elegance on Friday with another version of the entrance kimono.

Eleanor Thomas, the All England Club's fashion collections manager, knows tennis's iconic fashion shots by heart, with the key pieces on display at the Wimbledon Tennis Museum, and sees Osaka as sitting at the top of that scene.

Thomas said, "Naomi Osaka's outfits this year will certainly be a historic moment in this year's tournament."