Naomi Osaka is back and better than ever.
In one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament, Osaka returned to prime form, handing Coco Gauff a stinging 6-3, 6-2 defeat in the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Monday. The two former champions were expected to deliver a close contest, but Osaka wasted no time setting the tone.
“I felt really focused out there,” Osaka shared post-match. “My goal was to stay aggressive and control the points. I think I did that well.”
She broke Gauff in the very first game and never let the 20-year-old settle into any rhythm. Gauff’s serve, which had shown signs of improvement earlier in the tournament, couldn’t hold up under pressure. She tallied 33 unforced errors to just eight winners.
“I just couldn’t find my rhythm,” Gauff admitted. “She played a great match, and I didn’t execute the way I needed to.”
This win marks Osaka’s first trip to a Grand Slam quarterfinal since capturing the Australian Open title in 2021. After stepping away for mental health reasons and giving birth to her daughter Shai in 2023, Osaka looks locked in and ready to reclaim her place at the top.
She’ll now face the winner of Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.
