Naomi Osaka Upsets Coco Gauff in Highly-Anticipated U.S. Open Rematch

The two-time U.S. Open champion swept the top-ranked American in straight sets.
Naomi Osaka will advance to the U.S. Open quarterfinals after beating Coco Gauff.
Naomi Osaka will advance to the U.S. Open quarterfinals after beating Coco Gauff. / Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The Round of 16 showdown between former U.S. Open champions Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka was one of the most highly-anticipated of the major tournament thus far. While the American audience definitely leaned towards rooting for Gauff, Osaka dominated in the match on Monday afternoon.

The two-time U.S. Open champion won 6-3, 6-2 over the top-ranked American star and 2023 champion. Osaka will move onto the quarterfinals, which is the furthest she's reached at the U.S. Open since winning the tournament in 2020. Osaka's only reached five major quarterfinals in her career; she won four of those titles.

It's been an emotional tournament for the 21-year-old Gauff. The American quickly walked off the court after the loss. She was in tears during her second-round win last Thursday as she's clearly been struggling mentally out on the court. She's seen Osaka as an inspiration in many ways, but especially in the mental health aspect as the Japanese star has taken time away from the sport to focus on her mental health.

It was fitting that six years ago when Gauff and Osaka faced each other at the U.S. Open, Osaka comforted the 15-year-old Gauff when she struggled to control her emotions after the loss. A friendship and mentorship blossomed between them then. Osaka even said in her post-match interview on Monday that she "looks up to" Gauff, too.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.