NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 31: Cori Gauff of the United States and Naomi Osaka of Japan hug after their Women’s Singles third round match on day six of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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When the US Open women’s draw came out, one of the possible popcorn matches during the second week was a fourth-round meeting between Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
The duo has combined to win six Grand Slam singles titles and are among the biggest names in tennis.
With their blockbuster matchup now set for Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Osaka had a message for the fans.
“I hope, can somebody come to the match and choose for me because, I mean it’s kind of tough playing an American here, but I hope you guys kind of adopted me as well,” No. 23 Osaka told the crowd Saturday night after her 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, victory over No. 15 Daria Kasatkina.
Gauff, 21, and Osaka, 27, have history, with Gauff holding a 3-2 career edge.
“I kind of also see her as a little sister,” Osaka said. “So it’s really cool to be playing her here again. ”
They first met in the third round of the US Open in 2019, when the top-seeded Osaka dominated the then-15-year-old Gauff, 6-3, 6-0, in Gauff’s Arthur Ashe Stadium debut. After the match, Osaka consoled Gauff and asked her to do the post-match interview with her.
“My recollections were that I remember just knowing that she was going to be a really great tennis player, which I was right,” Osaka said. But yeah, she was, what, 15 at the time? I thought she just handled herself really well, and I knew she was going to be back there.
“Now to be playing her again after six years, I don’t know if that makes me old, but yeah, just to be at this point of my life and to be playing her again is honestly, for me, feels kind of special.”
They most recently met in November 2024 in Beijing when Gauff came back from 4-3 down to win the last three games of the set before Osaka retired due to a lower back injury at 3-6, 6-4.
“The one that I remember the most, I think it’s because it’s the most recent, was the one in Beijing, which I thought was really unfortunate because I felt like I was playing well,” Osaka said.
“I’m honestly excited to play her now, because I feel healthy, and I just want to see what happens.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2025/08/31/naomi-osakas-plea-to-us-open-fans-ahead-of-blockbuster-coco-gauff-match-can-somebody-choose-me/
