Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff At The U.s. Open In Rematch Of 2019 Final

Naomi Osaka eliminated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 astatine nan U.S. Open pinch a acold much assured and accordant marque of tennis Monday to scope her first Grand Slam quarterfinal successful much than 4 1/2 years.

The No. 23-seeded Osaka was amended passim than No. 3 Gauff, whose repeated mistakes really made nan quality successful Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I was ace locked in, to beryllium honest. I was really locked in," said Osaka, a 27-year-old who was calved successful Japan and moved to nan U.S. pinch her family astatine property 3. "I felt for illustration everyone wanted to watch a really awesome match, and I dream that’s what you got.”

From her side, it surely was. Osaka displayed nan demeanor — and, importantly, nan large service and booming strokes — that person carried her to 4 awesome championships, each connected difficult courts. That includes titles astatine nan U.S. Open successful 2018 and 2020, and astatine nan Australian Open successful 2019 and 2021.

It was astatine nan French Open later successful 2021 that Osaka helped spark a world speech astir intelligence wellness by revealing she felt worry and depression. She past took a bid of breaks from nan tour.

That astir caller trophy astatine Melbourne Park was nan past clip Osaka had moreover made it arsenic acold arsenic nan 4th information astatine immoderate Slam arena until this lucifer against Gauff, a 21-year-old from Florida who owns 2 awesome trophies. The first came astatine Flushing Meadows successful 2023 and nan 2nd astatine nan French Open this June.

For Osaka, this marks a existent return to her champion play since she returned to nan circuit aft a 17-month maternity leave. Her child, Shai, was calved successful July 2023.

“I’m a small delicate and I don’t want to cry, but honestly, I conscionable had truthful overmuch nosy retired here," said Osaka, who first played Gauff backmost astatine nan 2019 U.S. Open, besides successful Ashe, and won that one, too.

“I was successful nan stands for illustration 2 months aft I gave commencement to my daughter, watching Coco. I conscionable really wanted an opportunity to travel retired present and play,” Osaka told nan crowd. "This is my favourite tribunal successful nan world, and it intends truthful overmuch for maine to beryllium backmost here.”

Gauff came retired jittery astatine nan start. Her service was fine; different strokes were nan problem. She vanished pinch 33 unforced errors — measurement much than Osaka’s 12.

Trying to rework her service during this tourney pinch nan thief of biomechanics master Gavin MacMillan, Gauff sewage surgery correct disconnected nan bat and was down 2-0 aft conscionable 5 minutes, dropping 8 of nan first 9 points while making 5 unforced errors.

Whether because it’s what nan prematch strategy dictated aliases because of really nan opening unfolded, Gauff cranked up nan velocity successful her 2nd work game. The results were unimpeachable. She deed 4 first serves successful — each arriving nary slower than 110 mph, pinch a precocious of 115 mph — and held astatine emotion pinch a brace of aces and a brace of work winners.

Still, this is wherever nan cardinal quality was: Osaka utilized her large forehand, her champion stroke, to spell aft Gauff’s forehand, her worst stroke, and it worked wonders. By nan extremity of nan first set, Gauff had made 16 unforced errors and Osaka only five.

Osaka slapped her near thigh betwixt points and many times told herself, “Come on! Come on!”

That affirmative assemblage connection was rather a opposition to Gauff’s. She many times would put her palms up aliases motion toward her squad successful nan stands, looking confused aliases upset.