Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka’s fourth-round US Open showdown will evoke nostalgia for fans as they face off in a highly anticipated match on Monday.
Organizers couldn’t have planned it better for American fans, with a must-watch encounter between two charismatic former champions on the US Labor Day holiday, six years after their memorable first meeting at Flushing Meadows.
The two first clashed in the 2019 third round, where many domestic fans gathered to watch the then-15-year-old Gauff make her Arthur Ashe Stadium debut, following her impressive run to the Wimbledon round of 16.
The then-defending champion and world number one easily defeated Gauff 6-3 6-0 but quickly comforted the young American as she dissolved into tears by her bench and encouraged her to address the crowd.
Osaka spent much of her own post-match interview watching the crowd cheer wildly for her opponent, a display of remarkable sportsmanship that tennis fans still appreciate today.
“I remember it was a tough moment for me because it was a hyped-up match. I remember looking back at it. I guess I put way too much pressure on myself,” said Gauff, who overcame early tournament nerves to defeat Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-3 6-1, advancing to her fourth consecutive round of 16.
“It would be a cool kind of deja vu type of situation (playing again), but hopefully, it will be a different result.”
Recalling the encounter, Osaka said on Saturday that it would be special to play Gauff again at Flushing Meadows.
“I remember just knowing that she was going to be a really great tennis player,” said the 23rd seed Osaka, who represents Japan but spent much of her childhood nearby on Long Island and is considered one of New York’s adopted daughters.
Their careers diverged from there: Osaka went on to win her third and fourth majors at the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open but has struggled to win another tournament since, grappling with her form.
She became a champion for mental health with her candid disclosures around anxiety and depression and has been on the upswing this season, reaching the Montreal final after battling her way back after giving birth in 2023.
“Sometimes I think about me before I had my pregnancy break… my age was pretty young when I was doing some of the stuff that I was doing,” said Osaka. “I have to give myself a lot of grace on that.”
A women’s finals record of 3.4 million viewers tuned into ESPN to watch Gauff lift the 2023 US Open trophy, 1.1 million more than the audience that watched Novak Djokovic claim his 24th major title a day later, reflecting how beloved she is.
Gauff arrived in New York as the third seed after winning her second major at Roland Garros earlier this year, while Osaka repeatedly expressed her happiness just to be seeded at all.
“It’s been a real pleasure to see how she’s kind of navigated herself and been a role model to a lot of young people, even though she’s a young person herself,” said Osaka, who defeated the 15th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-0 4-6 6-3 in the third round.
The seven-time major winner Venus Williams, often cited as an inspiration for both players, said their rematch was good for the sport.
“Everyone will be watching,” said Williams. “That’s what tennis needs.”
