Japanese World No. 24 Osaka says she relishes challenge of playing against top players after devouring USA’s No. 3 Gauff in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to storm into quarters; credits new coach Wiktorowski for helping her stay positive after battling anxiety and depression
Naomi Osaka celebrates beating Coco Gauff at the US Open in New York on Monday. Pic/Getty Images; (right) Tomasz Wiktorowski
A smiling Naomi Osaka breezed past Coco Gauff to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday, saying a happier mindset is behind her best Grand Slam performance for four years.
The Japanese World No. 24 — a four-time Grand Slam winner — dominated the third-ranked American on her way to a 6-3, 6-2 victory in a surprisingly lopsided battle of former champions.
The victory sends Osaka into her first Grand Slam singles quarter-final since she reached the last eight of the 2021 Australian Open — a tournament she went on to win.
USA’s World. No 3 Coco Gauff during her US Open Round-of-16 defeat to Japan’s World No. 24 Naomi Osaka in New York on Monday. Pic/AFP
The 27-year-old, who in the past has been open about her battles with anxiety and depression, said she had set out to make this year’s US Open a happy experience.
“What I want to take away from this tournament is just smiling and having fun,” Osaka said, adding that her mood improved when she plays higher-ranked opponents. “For me, honestly, I have the most fun when I play against the best players,” she said. “I love when they hit amazing shots or they hit aces, because you know, that’s how they won the tournaments that they won. I always see it as a challenge. I like challenges,” a feisty Osaka added.
Osaka, who returned to tennis last year following the birth of her daughter in 2023, also credits the input of new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski for her success in New York. Wiktorowski began working with Osaka in July.
“He seemed like such a tough guy to me, but actually he really is like a teddy bear. When we talk after matches, he’s not harsh at all. He’s like always very proud and encouraging. I feel like it kind of creates a safe space for me to be able to express myself and my tennis,” explained the Japanese ace.
Osaka conceded just two points off her serve in the opening set, which she sealed when Gauff double-faulted on set point. The second set was similar, with Osaka giving up only four points on serve while pressuring Gauff relentlessly with a series of powerful ground strokes. Osaka edged clear after breaking Gauff to go 4-2 up and then broke her again to seal a quarter-final against 11th seed Karolina Muchova.
“It’s disappointing. It was not the level that I wanted to bring,” Gauff said, before adding: ‘I won’t let this defeat crush me.’
Meanwhile, Polish World No. 2 Iga Swiatek brushed off Russian 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1 to extend her Grand Slam winning streak to 11 matches.
04
No. of years since Naomi Osaka’s previous last-eight appearance at a Grand Slam
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