The 19-year-old Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to secure a place in her maiden US Open final. After the match, she recalled when she lost to Naomi Osaka in straight sets in 2015. Back then, after the match, a devastated Gauff broke down in tears on the court and was consoled by Osaka as the audience cheered.
While Osaka isn’t the only celebrity audience for Coco this year, her matches have been graced by the likes of The Biebers, The Obamas, and Mike Tyson. Osaka is the only one who shares an emotional bond with Gauff. After defeating Muchova, Gauff made sure to express how special that moment was to her. “I’m so excited to have you back on tour and hopefully, I get to meet your daughter.” The American said.
Coco Gauff to Naomi Osaka at the US Open:
“I didn’t notice she was sitting here til now. Thanks for coming. Naomi, I remember the moment we had on this court 3 years ago. It meant a lot to me. So excited to have you back on tour.. Hopefully I get to meet your daughter.” 🥹 pic.twitter.com/qfAj78yimI
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 8, 2023
The four-time Major Slam singles champion spoke about her respect for Gauff during a one-on-one interview with ESPN. Osaka announced she cheers for the American every match she plays and revealed how proud she is of the young player. Naomi went on to admire how Coco speaks about so many ‘different topics’ at once and how she has improved over the years.
Naomi Osaka says she’d love for her child to look up to Coco Gauff:
“I’m always really proud of everything she does. She seems like such a good person. Everything she’s doing & speaking out about so many different topics.. it’s something I’d love to have my kid to look up to as… pic.twitter.com/wP405aDWbI
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 6, 2023
“I would love my kid to look up (to) after her as a role model,” Osaka said. However, Gauff is conscious that one more victory is necessary for her tournament to be remembered, though. After the Williams sisters and Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff may be the fourth woman in history to win the US Open in this century.
Naomi Osaka is planning to return to tennis with a bang
Osaka, who recently gave birth to a daughter called Shai, her first child, is now on maternity leave. A former ranked No. 1 in the WTA, she hasn’t participated in a competition since September 2022. However, she has stated that she plans to play tennis again, possibly starting at the Australian Open in January of 2024.
When Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros in 2021, she made known her struggles with depression and anxiety. Later, she took a break from the game to preserve and nurture her mental health. As she came to the Flushing Meadows for a panel discussion on mental health—a subject she has previously freely highlighted as part of her own struggles—Osaka made her remarks.
Naomi Osaka says she’ll play more tournaments in 2024 than usual:
“I don’t know how the start of the year is gonna go for me.. at the very least I’ll set myself up for a very good end of the year”
She will play Australian Open. ❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 6, 2023
Osaka, however, claimed that her plans for the upcoming season have been revitalized. As her time away has made her realize how much she loves the sport. “It’s definitely way more tournaments than I used to play. So I think some people will be happy with that.” She said.
Osaka has won two Australian Open championships and two US Open crowns, making her a four-time Grand Slam singles champion. Returning to tennis at the Australian Open may be a very smart decision on Osaka’s part as her 24-5 career record at the Aussie Open, which equates to an 83 percent winning percentage, is the best among the four major competitions.
Discussion about this post