Naomi Osaka rolled back the years with a flawless performance to beat defending champion and home favourite Coco Gauff 6-3 6-2, booking her place in the US Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2021.
The two-time US Open champion made the perfect start, breaking Gauff’s serve in the opening game and keeping the American on the back foot throughout the first set.
Gauff showed flashes of brilliance, including a stunning backhand winner that even drew applause from Osaka, but her serve faltered badly with 16 double faults, two of which handed Osaka the opening set.
The second set followed a similar pattern as Osaka broke to move 5-2 up, serving to stay in the match, Gauff briefly steadied herself with an ace, but more errors followed and Osaka sealed victory after just 64 minutes.
Gauff, the No 3 seed, hit just eight winners to 33 unforced errors, while Osaka combined controlled aggression with a clear, composed mindset.
“It’s really special”
After her win, Osaka admitted the occasion carried extra meaning:
“I’m a little sensitive and I don’t want to cry. Honestly, I just had so much fun out here. Two months after I gave birth to my daughter I was in the stands watching Coco, so to come back and play her here is really special.
“I look up to her a lot. The way she conducts herself at such a young age is a gift, and I have all the respect in the world for her.”
The result marks Osaka’s first Grand Slam quarter-final since the 2021 Australian Open and signals a resurgence for the Japanese star after her return from maternity leave.
She will face Karolila Muchova in the quarterfinals, Karolina had qualified for the last eight by defeating Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 6-3 7-6 6-3.
Henman & Bartoli praise Osaka’s clarity
Former British No 1 Tim Henman highlighted the contrasting mindsets:
“When you talk about someone being in the zone, Osaka had that clear mindset. At the other end, Gauff looked so confused out there, especially with her serve. It’s very difficult to play your best tennis against a world-class player when you’re under that kind of stress.”
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli was equally impressed:
“Osaka was absolutely incredible from the word go. She dominated from the back of the court. Coco wasn’t at her best, but it’s more fair to emphasise how great Naomi was. To come back and produce this level on Ashe was outstanding.”
The Pole recovered from an early 3-1 deficit in the first set and never looked back, wrapping up the win less than 48 hours after a dramatic comeback against Anna Kalinskaya.
“At the beginning she was playing really fast and I wanted to find my rhythm,” Swiatek said. “Later on I felt like I was in my bubble and in my zone.”
Swiatek, chasing her second US Open crown and seventh Grand Slam title, will fight for a place in the semi-final when she face Amanda Anisimova who defeated Brazilian star Beatriz Haddad Maia to advance into the quarterfinals.
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