On Monday at Flushing Meadows, Naomi Osaka overpowered No 3 seed Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, sealing a US Open quarter-final berth in 64 minutes without facing a break point. The No 23 seed will meet Karolina Muchova next, keeping alive a perfect 12-0 record from grand-slam quarter-finals onward.
Key Takeaways
- Scoreline: Osaka def. Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
- Osaka did not face a break point and won 32 of 38 service points (94% on first serve) despite landing 42% first serves.
- Gauff finished with 33 unforced errors against eight winners; serving inconsistencies resurfaced.
- Osaka won 16 of her first 18 service points and closed the opening set in 31 minutes.
- The victory is Osaka’s 14th career win over a top-10 opponent and her third since returning last season.
- Osaka has converted every major quarter-final run into a title (12-0 from QF through final).
- Gauff, 21, had rebuilt her team this summer, adding biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan.
- Arthur Ashe’s 23,771-seat arena was at full voice for the marquee fourth-round clash.
Verified Facts
Osaka set the tone immediately, breaking Gauff in the American’s first service game and consolidating behind commanding holds. She captured the first set 6-3 in 31 minutes, having won 16 of her first 18 service points. Throughout the match, Osaka’s first-serve percentage (42%) was modest, but her precision on key deliveries and the quality of the second ball kept Gauff from generating pressure.
The second set mirrored the first. Serving at 2-2, Osaka navigated her only tricky hold of the afternoon, then broke again as Gauff’s double faults and forehand misses mounted. From there, Osaka sprinted to the finish line, closing 6-2 in a 64-minute performance that offered no break-point looks to Gauff.
The numbers underscored the gap: Osaka totaled 10 winners to 12 unforced errors and won 32 of 38 service points, including 94% behind her first serve. Gauff’s line told the opposite story—33 unforced errors against eight winners—limiting her transition game and neutralizing her court coverage.
This was Osaka’s 14th career victory over a top-10 opponent and her third such win since launching her comeback last year. She reached the last eight as the No 23 seed, arriving in New York after a runner-up finish in Montreal and a 10–1 stretch across her past 11 matches.
Context & Impact
For Osaka, the result continues a steady ascent in her first full season back from maternity leave. She has repeatedly cited rediscovered enjoyment in competition, and her Ashe display—poised, measured, and ruthless on return—looked like vintage hard-court form.
Gauff’s defeat capped a turbulent summer following her Roland Garros title. Persistent serving volatility contributed to early exits—including a first-round loss at Wimbledon—prompting adjustments with a retooled team and the addition of biomechanics guidance from Gavin MacMillan, who previously aided Aryna Sabalenka’s serve transformation. Early-round patches of progress in New York gave way to familiar pressure points against Osaka.
Every Osaka run to a major quarter-final has ended with the trophy in hand (12-0 from the last eight onward), a historical trend that now looms over the bottom half of the draw. Next up is Karolina Muchova, whose variety and change of pace pose a different test from Gauff’s first-strike power.
By the numbers
| Stat | Osaka | Gauff |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6-3, 6-2 | — |
| Duration | 64 minutes | — |
| First-serve in | 42% | — |
| First-serve points won | 94% | — |
| Total service points won | 32/38 | — |
| Winners | 10 | 8 |
| Unforced errors | 12 | 33 |
| Break points faced | 0 | — |
What’s next
- Quarter-final: Naomi Osaka vs Karolina Muchova ( schedule TBA).
- Osaka remains one of two mothers to reach the last 16 this year, alongside Taylor Townsend, underscoring a broader trend of successful post-maternity comebacks on tour.
Official Statements
“It’s disappointing, but a step in the right direction. I served better, just too many mistakes off the ground.”
Coco Gauff
“I had so much fun out here. After childbirth I dreamed of playing on this court again—now I believe anything’s possible.”
Naomi Osaka
Unconfirmed
- The exact number of Gauff double faults: match description references a “sixth” double fault during set two, while the summarized stat line cites five.
Bottom Line
Osaka delivered her most convincing performance of the comeback, overwhelming the No 3 seed with pace, precision, and poise. If her serve-and-return balance holds, her unbeaten record from quarter-finals onward makes her a genuine title threat in New York.
For Gauff, the loss spotlights a serve still under renovation. If her team can stabilize the motion under pressure, the rest of her game remains strong enough for deep runs this autumn.