Naomi Osaka Had Classy Message for Coco Gauff After Upset Win at U.S. Open

Kristen Wong | Sep 1, 2025

Naomi Osaka shared words of support to Coco Gauff after she defeated the American in straight sets in the fourth round of the 2025 U.S. Open. / Screengrab on Twitter/ @usopen

Naomi Osaka knocked out home favorite Coco Gauff in a highly anticipated Round of 16 showdown at the U.S. Open on Monday afternoon, marking Osaka's biggest victory since the 2021 Australian Open.

It's also Osaka's first major quarterfinal berth since she gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, but you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell that from Osaka's post-match reaction. After Osaka defeated Gauff in straight sets (6-3, 6-2), she had a relatively subdued celebration before linking up with Gauff at the net.

Then, in Osaka's on-court interview, the two-time U.S. Open champ shared kind and encouraging words for her adversary.

“I look up to her. The way she conducts herself is really special. To be such an amazing role model at such a young age, it’s a gift. I have all the respect in the world for her," Osaka said of Gauff.

Naomi has all the respect for Coco 💙 pic.twitter.com/LPoHnvaoIt

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2025

Nothing but class.

Osaka cruised to a win in part due to Gauff's unforced errors, as the top-ranked American's strokes were off and she looked rattled in arguably her first heavyweight matchup of the tournament. Gauff committed 33 unforced errors in total compared to Osaka's 12.

Osaka now advances to the fifth major quarterfinal of her career, and the 27-year-old may have history on her side: the last four times Osaka reached a major quarterfinal, she went home with a trophy.

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