‘The moments I play tennis for’ – Osaka beats Gauff at US Open

US Open 2025

Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York

Naomi Osaka, a two-time US Open champion, describes defeating Coco Gauff as one of “the moments” she enjoys playing tennis for.

With a 6-3, 6-2 victory over American third seed Gauff, Japan’s Osaka defeated her in the 2023 election.

Gauff, age 21, came home from her Grand Slam with a subdued performance despite being unsure of her game.

Osaka, the former world number one, patiently drew mistakes from her rival, whose forehand was particularly ineffective to deal with scrutiny.

Osaka, who was seeded 23rd, clapped Gauff off the court after he made a quick exit.

For the first time since winning the Australian Open in 2021, Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, made it to the final eight of a major.

It was also her biggest ranking victory in a row since she defeated Ashleigh Barty in the China Open in 2019 to claim her first ranking victory.

“Coco is one of the best players in the world.” When I play against the best players, I have the most fun. It’s always a challenge in my opinion. Osaka continued, “These are the times I play tennis for,” adding that she enjoys challenges.

The first true “popcorn” match of the tournament was when two of the sport’s most well-known stars reunited in New York.

In the end, Osaka, 27, was left with no entertainment as a one-sided victory, which highlighted the progress she has made in recent months.

Her strong baseline game, which had been defeated by 2023 champion Gauff, came to fruition with a more measured approach.

Osaka intelligently interrogated the unmistakable American, whose forehand breaking down during the matches was the deciding factor in a match that lasted barely longer than an hour.

In a bid to stop the flow of double faults, Gauff made a bold move to reshuffle her team days before her grand prix.

Matt Daly, a grip specialist, was joined by Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics expert who helped Aryna Sabalenka overcame her serving yips.

What is already a high-pressure tournament was subject to more scrutiny as a result of the drastic change, and Gauff was obviously affected by the increased toll.

While her serve performed well, this was manifested through her forehand, another area where she has struggled to find consistency over the years.

The forehand made eleven forced errors, denying her the first set. In the second set, considering a return from that wing proved crucial.

At 3-2, Osaka had two more break opportunities after the mishit, with Gauff’s more reliable backhand letting her down on the first point indicating how underpowered she was.

A nearly capacity 25, 000 crowd was slightly conflicted about supporting two incredibly well-known players for the majority of the game.

Although Gauff led the home challenge in terms of seeding and superstar status, Osaka, who does not represent Japan, was born in the Queens borough of New York City, where the tournament is held.

Both women have powerfully used their voices to bring attention to social issues, including racism, and have also endeared themselves to fans.

Gauff was overcome by the crowd’s inability to rally her as the younger player waited for her to win, which made her leave the tournament for the second time in a row.

I was serving well but not returning well, which caused me to feel so disoriented on the court. Everyone can agree that’s a strange thought over the past two years, said Gauff.

“I think this tournament has a lot of benefits, and I’m trying to be one of them.”

Iga Swiatek, the reigning champion at Wimbledon, defeated Russian 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1 on Monday, extending her winning streak to 11 matches.

In a one-sided match, the Polish second seed won in just 64 minutes.

Swiatek picked up her phone to text her coach and set up a practice session right away because the victory happened so quickly and effortlessly.

In her on-court interview, she said, “I asked him to book 10 minutes of a practice court if it’s possible.”

Swiatek is now in the final eight or better for all four majors for the first time since winning his second US Open championship and second Grand Slam of the year.

In a matchup that would be a repeat of the Wimbledon semifinal in July, where Swiatek defeated the eighth seed 6-0 6-0.