Queens, NY—–In a commanding return to Grand Slam form, Naomi Osaka cruised past defending U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Monday, booking her place in a major quarterfinal for the first time in over four years.
The 27-year-old Osaka, seeded No. 23, delivered a sharp and composed performance inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, dictating play from the baseline and capitalizing on a flurry of errors from the No. 3 seed Gauff. It marked Osaka’s most impressive win since returning from maternity leave and a reminder of why she’s a four-time Grand Slam champion—all on hard courts, including two U.S. Open titles in 2018 and 2020.
Meanwhile, Gauff, 21, struggled to find her rhythm from the outset. Though her serve held up well, inconsistency in her groundstrokes—particularly on the forehand side—proved costly. She finished the match with 33 unforced errors compared to just 12 from Osaka.
Gauff, who entered the tournament riding high after claiming her second Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year, came out tight. Attempting to implement recent tweaks to her serve under the guidance of biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan, Gauff was broken in the opening game and dropped eight of the first nine points, quickly falling behind 2-0.
She briefly steadied herself with a flawless service game highlighted by a pair of aces, firing first serves between 110 and 115 mph. But Osaka was unbothered. Employing a tactical approach, the former world No. 1 targeted Gauff’s vulnerable forehand with her own powerful baseline game—especially her trademark forehand—and the strategy paid off. Gauff’s error count ballooned to 16 by the end of the first set, while Osaka remained clean and focused with just five unforced errors.
Throughout the match, Osaka exuded positive energy—slapping her thigh between points and rallying herself with shouts of “Come on!”—a sharp contrast to Gauff’s more subdued and frustrated demeanor.
The result sends a clear message: Naomi Osaka is back and playing some of her best tennis since her last major win in Melbourne in 2021.
Osaka will now look to extend her resurgence in the quarterfinals, while Gauff exits Flushing Meadows far earlier than expected, with plenty to reassess ahead of the season’s final stretch.
