NEW YORK — The anticipation for Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka’s midday meeting at the US Open reverberated through Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It took No. 23-seeded Osaka 64 minutes to stifle that suspense, eliminating No. 3-seeded Gauff 6-3, 6-2 to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal match in over four years. Osaka is unbeaten in majors in which she’s advanced to the quarterfinal, last winning at the 2021 Australian Open, which she said doesn’t add pressure or extra confidence.
“This is unchartered territory at this point in my career,” Osaka said. “I’m just enjoying it.”
Monday’s win marked Osaka’s return to her best form since returning to the tour following maternity leave. She will face No. 11 Karolína Muchová on Wednesday.
“I was a kid that was watching on TV just hoping to play this tournament,” Osaka said. “I’d come here and wish to play on one of the cool outdoor courts. To be on the main stadium, no matter at what point of my career, it’s always an honor.”
The morning session came with a price tag that reflected the top-billing match, with the cheapest ticket coming in at $439 on StubHub. The most expensive remaining ticket, less than an hour before Osaka and Gauff took the court, was $2,067.
Gauff—who won the US Open in 2023—entered the match as the heavy favorite, having won her first French Open title earlier this summer. The inconsistencies in her game, coupled with the number of unforced errors, shrunk her superiority positioned across from a steady Osaka.
“It’s been a tough post-French Open for me, for sure,” Gauff said. “I know the improvements I need to make, and I feel like I’m making the right decision by making them. I wish I had more time between this tournament and Cincinnati, but that’s not the cards I was given.”
Gauff lost in the first round of Wimbledon following her French Open win and then lost in the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Open. Days ahead of the US Open, she hired Gavin MacMillan—a biomechanics specialist—to help with her serve.
Following her loss to Osaka, Gauff said she will take a training block before the 2025 China Open later this month.
“Whatever happens for the rest of the year I just want it to be improvement,” Gauff said. “I don’t care results wise.”
Red, White, and Few
The American women had largely carried the men through the round of 16, with five players advancing to that stage of the tournament.
Gauff’s exit leaves just No. 8 Amanda Anisimova and No. 4 Jessica Pegula on the women’s side.
On the men’s side, Taylor Fritz is the lone American player left standing, set to face Novak Djokovic in the men’s quarterfinals Tuesday night. No other U.S. male player made it to the fourth round, after several upsets in Round 3—No. 6 Ben Shelton (retired due to injury), No. 14 Tommy Paul, and No. 17 were all eliminated.
However, Fritz’s presence means this is the sixth consecutive Grand Slam in which at least one American man reached the quarterfinal round, which is the longest such streak since 2004. Fritz reached the 2024 U.S. Open final, his best career performance at a Grand Slam.
Double the Magic
In the women’s doubles bracket, Venus Williams and Canadian Leylah Fernandez have advanced to the quarterfinals, as the surprise duo continues to bring unexpected juice to the tournament.
Williams, 45, and Fernandez, 22, had not played together in a pro event before, but are 3–0 and have not dropped a set. On Monday, they upset the No. 12 seed, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai, in front of a sold-out Louis Armstrong Stadium, which seats more than 14,000 fans. Williams last played the women’s doubles at the US Open in 2022 with her sister, Serena.
Williams and Fernandez’s quarterfinal match will be Tuesday.
