Latest update September 1st, 2026 10:27 AM
Sep 02, 2025 Sports
NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Naomi Osaka produced a commanding performance to knock out third seed Coco Gauff 6-3 6-2 in a highly anticipated fourth round showdown between two former U.S. Open champions on Monday.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka embraces Coco Gauff of the U.S. after winning their round of 16 match. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka showed flashes of her old brilliance as she took control of the match from the start, while the 2023 champion Gauff struggled with her forehand and her serve.
The result carried Osaka into the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals for the first time in five years and she will next play either Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova or 27th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.
“It’s really special. I look up to her a lot, the way she conducts herself is really special. To be such a role model at such a young age, I have respect for her,” said Osaka, who triumphed in New York in 2018 and 2020.
Monday’s showdown marked the first time that the two fan favourites met in New York since their memorable 2019 tussle when the then 15-year-old Gauff lost to Osaka.

Coco Gauff (USA) serves against Naomi Osaka (JPN) (not pictured) on day nine of the 2025 US Open tennis championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

Naomi Osaka (JPN) serves against Coco Gauff (USA) (not pictured) on day nine of the 2025 US Open tennis championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
The fans who had kept on chattering through the earlier match on Ashe fell silent as the two began their battle, with Osaka breaking Gauff from the baseline in the first game in a superb first set.
Gauff has spent many months trying to rebuild her serve and was let down by it yet again as she produced a double fault on set point, one of five across the match.
The mistakes began to pile up for the American, who handed Osaka another break point with an unforced error in the sixth game of the second set and turned helplessly to her box during the final game, telling her coaches: “Nothing’s working.”
The pair embraced briefly at the net after Gauff bowed out with a shot into the net on match point and Osaka smiled in a subdued celebration.
“I’m a little sensitive. I don’t want to cry. I had so much fun out here,” said Osaka, who has recaptured some of her best form this year with a run to the final in Montreal.
“A big thank you to my team. We’ve been through a lot, it hasn’t been easy but they have been by my side. I love you.”
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Sep 01, 2026
2026 Republic Bank CPL… GAW vs. TKR Kaieteur Sports – Shimron Hetmyer dropped a nuke at the Queen’s Park Oval, as his breathtaking 111 not out scorched the Trinbago Knight Riders, who...Sep 01, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – There was a time in Guyana when a child caught reading a book was considered a good thing. Today, if you see a child quietly reading for twenty minutes, you may want to call the police. Something unusual is happening. The child is either studying, hiding from his parents, or...Aug 30, 2026
By Sir Ronald Sanders (Kaieteur News) – For generations, Kenscoff was where people from Port-au-Prince went to breathe. Its cool hills offered relief, and its farmers supplied the capital’s markets. Gang attacks reached the commune in January 2025, but it remained an important barrier between...Sep 01, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – The Aussies are now on the bandwagon. Guyana is a world class mining place. Before the Australians, Americans from Exxon were waxing brightly about Guyana’s world class oil reservoirs. And, before the Australians and Americans, there was the irrepressible Mohamed Irfaan...Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: glennlall2000@gmail.com / kaieteurnews@yahoo.com