Naomi Osaka is celebrating her latest U.S. Open win over Coco Gauff, after watching her comrade dominate the court while she was on maternity leave.
The tennis star is being applauded for deliveringher sharpest performance since returning from maternity leave, dominating Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in their highly anticipated fourth-round clash at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sept. 1, The Guardian reported.
After the match, Osaka gave a subtle nod to Gauff while recalling how she watched Gauff compete while on maternity leave during the 2023 US Open.
“I’m a little sensitive, and I don’t want to cry, but I had so much fun out here. I was in the stands 2 months after I gave birth to my daughter, watching Coco,” Osaka shared. “I really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play. This is my favorite court in the world. It means so much to me to be back here. I wanna say a big thank you to my team. We’ve kinda been through a lot. It hasn’t always been easy. They’ve been by my side. Thank you, guys. Love you”
The gesture echoed Osaka’s 2019 U.S. Open win over a then-15-year-old Gauff, who became emotional after her debut loss in Ashe Stadium. In a memorable show of empathy, Osaka invited Gauff to join her for the on-court interview.
“She told me that I did amazing and good luck. And then she asked if I could do an on-court interview with her,” Guaff told the reporter through tears after being asked to share what Osaka had told her after the match.
“I said no, because I knew I was going to cry the whole time, but she encouraged me to do it.”
As for her latest loss to Osaka, Gauff admitted she was “disappointed” and even “broke down” with her team afterward, but she’s choosing to stay positive, focusing on the lessons learned and areas for growth.
“I think that trying to be more positive. After the match, I was really disappointed,” Gauff said. “Kind of broke down to my team. Then, hearing their perspectives and everything, it definitely is a lot of positive things. I think if I kept the way I was going in Cincinnati to here, I would have been out in the first round. So I think where my serve started from the start of the tournament to today was a big improvement.”
Osaka’s victory over Gauff secured her spot in the quarterfinals, where she’s set to face Karolína Muchová.
