Since the departure of the Williams Sisters, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka have been the torchbearers for the next generation of melanated magnificence on the tennis court. The two world-famous tennis pros will go at it in a highly anticipated fourth-round clash at the US Open on Monday night, after locking down victories with contrasting styles.
Gauff crushed Magdalena Frech of Poland 6-3, 6-1, while Osaka showed the grit that once made her No.1 in the world and battled past Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
Coco Gauff Faces Naomi Osaka 2025 U.S. Open: Leads Series 3-2
For Gauff, being here was expected as she’s been one of the more dominant players when it comes to majors in recent years. She’s currently the No. 3 ranked WTA player. Osaka’s run is a bit of a surprise. Times have changed dramatically since Osaka first defeated a 15-year-old Gauff at the 2019 U.S. Open
Gauff remembers that match well: “I remember it was a tough moment for me because it was a hyped-up match. I guess I put way too much pressure on myself thinking I maybe had a chance in that moment to actually do something, which I definitely did, but I think it was just I felt more expectation that I should than maybe belief. Then when I played her in Australia, that was more belief than expectation. It would be a cool kind of déjà vu type of situation, but hopefully it will be a different result.”
Coco Gauff Is On Top, Naomi Osaka Trying To Get Back
Osaka won their initial matches in ‘19 and the 2020 Australian Open, while Gauff came back with victories at the 2021 Cincinnati Open, the 2022 San Jose Classic, and the 2024 Beijing Open It’s a pivotal match for both players.
For Gauff, it’s the chance to reach the quarters for the third time in four years. For Osaka, it’s an opportunity to prove that she is 100 percent back by winning a major for the first time since becoming a mother. These two women have been at the forefront of women’s tennis and brand marketability for some time now.
Gauff & Osaka Among Highest Paid Women Athletes
In 2023, Gauff earned as the highest paid female athlete with $22.7 million in total earnings, and she’s only 19. Fellow tennis player Naomi Osaka was the top earner the last three years. At 19, she had her breakthrough year on tour. She won four titles, including her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. She had a record of 51-16 and finished the year with her highest ranking of No. 3.
She also collected $6.7 million in prize money. Off the court, Gauff earned $16 million in endorsements from her brand paMicrosoftew Balance, Barilla, Microsof, and Bose. Gauff has won ten career singles titles, including two majors at the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open, as well as the 2024 WTA Finals. She has also won ten doubles titles, including the 2024 French Open partnering with Kateřina Siniaková.2024 was even better.
Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, winning the US Open in 2018 and 2020 and Australian Open in 2019 and in 2021. She was on a dominating run. Both of these women have kept eyes on the sport that might have otherwise left with the legacy of the Williams sisters. While Osaka has had a tumultuous past five years as she’s been married, had a baby and fought through mental health challenges and hasn’t been able to regain her status at the top of the tennis totem pole, Gauff continued to rise in popularity and maturity.
Osaka, whose mom is Japanese and her dad is Haitian, had an interesting comment leading up to the match about fan support:
“Can somebody come to the match and cheer for me because it’s kind of tough playing an American here? I see her as a little sister so it’s kind of cool to be playing her here again. To be playing her again after six years, I don’t know if that makes me old, but just to be at this point of my life and to be playing her again is honestly, for me, feels kind of special. I’m honestly excited to play her now, because I feel healthy, and I just want to see what happens.”
Will Osaka return to greatness or will Gauff continue the growing separation between the two competitors?
