3 weeks ago
23
Coco Gauff's tumultuous, topsy-turvy US Open campaign came to a halt on Monday as the American tennis star and 2023 winner was beaten 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour by a masterful Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.
There had been tears, coaching changes and service issues along the way for Gauff, and the latter of those problems persisted against a supremely confident Osaka at Arthur Ashe.
Gauff was broken on her first service game, lost the first set on a double fault and ultimately committed 16 unforced errors as the Japanese-born, four-time Slam winner continued her resurgent form.
For a player whom she refers to as a 'little sister,' there was certainly a big sibling energy brought forth by Osaka, who looked nothing like the underdog she was on paper.
Instead, for two players whose confidence has faltered at times (especially of late, for Gauff), it was Osaka who showed off her Grand Slam pedigree.
She never trailed in the match and dispatched of one of the game's best players with a fairly astonishing ease.
Osaka herself has been brought to tears plenty of times by the mental pressures and demands of the sports, but - during a week where she's cheerily showed off her various Labubus - she stood on the court after beating Gauff and discussed just how fun she had playing.
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