US Open 2025: Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka set for what could be an epic battle years in the making in fourth round

The first time Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff met on the court was at the 2019 US Open. Osaka was the No. 1 seed after winning the tournament the year before over Serena Williams and Gauff was just a 15-year-old wildcard breaking onto the scene. Osaka scorched her teenage foe, 6-3, 6-0, in the third round, but the two have stayed interconnected in the time since. Now, six years later, the tables have turned as Gauff is the No. 3 seed looking to make another run at the US Open title while Osaka is trying to reach a quarterfinal at a major for the first time since 2021.

Gauff sits squarely behind Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek in the world rankings. Swiatek holds six major titles to Sabalenka’s three and Gauff’s two. Osaka, who owns four Grand Slams, is currently sits as the No. 24 in the world and has significantly diminished as an elite player despite building herself back up.

Osaka punched her ticket to the fourth round with an impressive showing against No. 15 Daria Kasatkina on Saturday. Osaka was strong in her serve against Kasatkina, with the win marking the first time Osaka advanced to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament since the 2021 Australian Open. Osaka’s run also moves her deeper into the US Open than she has been since 2020 when she won the whole thing.

After defeating Kasatkina, Osaka said she views Gauff like a “little sister” and that playing in New York “feels like home.” Osaka was born in Japan but was raised in the United States, including a stint of time on Long Island. Still, she knows the crowd is unlikely to be behind her on Saturday.

“Can somebody come to the match and cheer for me?” Osaka said. “It’s kinda tough playing an American here, but I hope you guys kind of adopted me as well.”

After winning the French Open, Gauff had a disastrous Wimbledon experience, losing to Dayana Yastremska in the opening round. She split with coach Matthew Daly just prior to the start of the US Open, choosing to work with her longtime coach Jean-Christophe Faurel and added biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan to her team to address lingering issues, including an inconsistent serve, in her game.

Early returns on that decision were uneven, with a rocky three-set win over Ajla Tomljanovic, followed by a frustrating straight-sets win over Donna Vekic that saw Gauff fight through tears as she struggled to find consistency with her serve.

The third round saw Gauff find her footing, blazing past Magdalena Frech in fairly short order. Now, she can look ahead to meeting Osaka in a flashback match.

“It would be a cool kind of déjà vu, but hopefully with a different result,” Gauff said of facing Osaka. “I remember it was a tough moment because it was such a hyped-up match. Looking back, I put way too much pressure on myself, thinking I had a chance to do something. I probably did, but I felt more expectation than belief.”

Gauff vs. Osaka head-to-head record, prediction

Gauff is -225 to win the match against Osaka, according to DraftKings. When she is on her game, Gauff is every bit the player who deserves a No. 3 world ranking. The world saw how good she can be as she ran through the French Open, in addition to her 2023 US Open title.

Gauff is 3-2 against Osaka in her career.

If Gauff has fully settled down after her emotional and uneven first two rounds, there’s no reason to believe that she will lose to Osaka when they square off on Monday, Sept. 1. 

Osaka has faced plenty of struggles in recent years and Gauff is the better overall player at this point in time. Barring a Gauff meltdown — which feels like a valid possibility — there’s no reason to pick against the No. 3 seed to march onward. Pick: Coco Gauff wins in two sets