Coco Gauff Dismantled By Naomi Osaka At US Open

Sometimes in tennis, you witness a masterclass. Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium was one of those days, and unfortunately for American fans, it wasn’t their girl delivering the lesson.

Gauff Gets Schooled By Her Tennis Big Sister

Naomi Osaka didn’t just beat Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in their US Open fourth-round showdown—she absolutely dismantled her. The 27-year-old Japanese star looked like she had a GPS while Gauff was wandering around with a broken compass, finishing the job in just 64 minutes that probably felt like an eternity for the home crowd.

You could feel the collective deflation in Ashe Stadium as Gauff’s unforced errors piled up like dirty laundry. Sixteen total in the first set alone? That’s not championship tennis—that’s what happens when you are not at the top of your game.

The Motherhood Motivation Factor

Here’s what makes this victory even more remarkable: Osaka hasn’t reached a major quarterfinal since winning the Australian Open in 2021. That is over four years of questions, doubts, and whispers about whether she’d ever find her championship form again. Throw in becoming a mother to daughter Shai in 2023, and this comeback story writes itself.

“I think it’s more for me the journey getting back here,” Osaka said before the match, and you could hear the emotion behind those words. This wasn’t just about beating Gauff—it was about proving she still belongs among tennis royalty.

What Went Wrong for Gauff?

Let’s be brutally honest here: Gauff looked like someone playing with the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders. The crowd desperately wanted to rally behind their 2023 US Open champion, but tennis doesn’t care about your feelings. When you’re double-faulting on set point and “guiding the ball” instead of crushing it (thanks for that observation, Chrissie Evert), you’re not winning matches against elite competition.

The coaching change before the tournament clearly hasn’t clicked yet. Sometimes chemistry takes time, but Grand Slams don’t wait for anyone to figure things out.

The Road Ahead For Both Players

Osaka’s reward? A date with either Karolina Muchova or Marta Kostyuk, with $660,000 already in her bank account and potentially $1.26 million waiting if she reaches the semifinals. Not bad for a night’s work.

For Gauff, this stings. At 21, she’s got time to bounce back, but losses like this, especially at home, are the kind that either make you stronger or mess with your head. The French Open champion needs to rediscover that killer instinct that got her there, because right now, she is playing like someone afraid to lose rather than determined to win.