Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff at the US Open to Reach Her First Major Quarterfinal Since 2021

Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff at the US Open to Reach Her First Major Quarterfinal Since 2021
Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States during their Women's Singles Fourth Round match on Day Nine of the 2025 U.S. Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City on Sept. 1, 2025. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
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NEW YORK—Naomi Osaka smiled before her U.S. Open showdown against Coco Gauff began Monday — and after it ended. Between points, Osaka patted her left thigh and quietly told herself, almost in a whisper: “Come on. Come on.”

Once the ball was in play, Osaka’s strokes were loud and on-target, producing the sort of confident, consistent and power-swinging tennis that carried her to four Grand Slam titles and the No. 1 ranking.