Naomi Osaka and Cori Gauff's “Déjà vu” moment

The seats at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, United States, the largest tennis stadium in the world with a capacity of 24,000, were filled during the second match on Monday (1/9/2025) afternoon. They came to watch the "big match" of the fourth round of the US Open Grand Slam, between Cori "Coco" Gauff and Naomi Osaka in the women's singles.

Coco is a 21-year-old tennis star who is the host's mainstay. Osaka, a Japanese player who has lived in the United States since childhood, is the "sweetheart," a player who always behaves sweetly and is liked by many wherever she competes.

Aware that Coco is a fan-favorite tennis player in New York, Osaka requested that there be a few spectators to support her. She made this request after winning the third round last weekend.

The crowd supporting Coco during the match was indeed larger. The stadium atmosphere became quiet whenever Coco failed to score a point. However, Osaka's fans remained, including Japanese citizens living in the US. They smiled, applauded, and waved Japanese flags as Osaka won 6-3, 6-2.

Coco actually hoped that the outcome of the match that afternoon would be the opposite of six years ago. Coco's match against Osaka was a repeat of their encounter at the same venue on the night of August 31, 2019, in the third round. The result was that Coco lost 3-6, 0-6.

Coco, who was 15 years old at the time, had only one experience playing on the Grand Slam stage, which was at Wimbledon a month earlier. The fourth round she reached at Wimbledon and her victory over Venus Williams in the first round made Coco a new star. Therefore, when the time came for her to perform in front of her home crowd, she was very enthusiastic.

The expectations were high when facing Osaka, who holds the title of world number one in women's singles and is also the defending champion. However, the immense pressure from within became a setback, making it difficult for her to focus on the game.

Coco cried in her seat after the match. At that moment, Osaka approached to console her. Instead of the match result, this moment became the most memorable for tennis fans. A moment of sportsmanship that transcended the competition to win.

As Coco was packing her racket and other equipment to leave the court, Osaka approached her to invite her for a joint interview. In fact, post-match interviews on the court are usually only conducted with the winner.

"Would you like to be interviewed with me? These people are here because of you," Osaka asked.

“Are you sure? I’m going to cry,” Coco replied, repeating that she was going to cry.

"No, you played very well. Trust me. I think it would be better than going to the bathroom and crying there. You have to give the audience a chance to know how you feel," Osaka said, reassuring Coco.

In an interview with former American tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez, Coco shared that Osaka encouraged her to express her feelings to the audience, even though she initially hesitated because she did not want to cry in front of others. "Naomi was very kind to me," Coco said while sobbing.

Osaka also cried as she praised Coco's parents and coaching staff. She became even more emotional when she saw Coco hugging her father.

Osaka and Coco share a similar background, as they are descendants of black citizens who ultimately pursued tennis. In fact, tennis is rarely chosen by black individuals due to its status as an expensive sport.

I don't want to cry, but this place and this tournament means a lot to me.

They train at the same place at the Polo Tennis Academy in Florida, although not at the same time. Although born in Japan, with a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, Osaka and her family moved to the United States when Osaka was four years old.

Osaka's father, Leonard Francois, and Coco's father, Corey Gauff, are both inspired by Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. Richard introduced tennis and supported his daughters in becoming professional tennis players. Although they rarely meet during their daughters' training sessions, Francois and Corey are good friends.

Another factor that unites them is their concern for social issues. Osaka and Coco are active and bold in speaking out to defend the equal rights of all individuals, particularly those of Black citizens.

When the shooting of a Black citizen occurred in the U.S. in 2020, Coco also took to the streets to demonstrate. Osaka showed her concern in another way, one of which was wearing a mask inscribed with the names of each shooting victim while entering the court at the U.S. Open.

At that time, the US Open was held during the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring athletes to wear masks, except when competing. Osaka became the champion of the US Open for the second time and dedicated that victory to humanity.

Six years have passed since the meeting at Arthur Ashe in 2019, and Osaka and Coco have taken different paths. After the 2019 US Open, Osaka won the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open, bringing her total Grand Slam titles to four.

However, it is not only positive stories that the 27-year-old tennis player has experienced. Osaka went through a dark phase after winning the 2021 Australian Open. Due to difficulties in facing the intense scrutiny from the media and the public, she experienced mental health issues.

After withdrawing before the second round of the French Open, Osaka did not compete at Wimbledon. She was also unable to perform at her best in her own country, resulting in her elimination in the third round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which took place in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

From October 2022 until the end of 2023, Osaka stepped away from the WTA Tour due to pregnancy and the birth of her first child. This journey caused Osaka, who was ranked at the top of the world rankings when she faced Coco at the US Open in 2019, to have no world ranking upon her return to competition in 2024.

Meanwhile, Coco continues to climb, albeit at a slow pace. She reached her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open but lost to Iga Swiatek. Her first title from the Grand Slam arena was finally achieved in front of her home crowd at the 2023 US Open.

When Coco won, Osaka watched from the stadium stands, just two months after giving birth to her daughter, Shai. "At that moment, I truly hoped to have the opportunity to play here again," said Osaka.

In 2025, Coco added a Grand Slam trophy from the French Open. This achievement serves as evidence that she possesses equal capabilities on hard courts and clay.

Nevertheless, Coco has yet to conquer the grass courts of Wimbledon, having never advanced past the fourth round. In fact, Wimbledon was the first Grand Slam that brought her name to prominence when she reached the fourth round in 2019. She defeated Venus Williams in the first round.

Between the 2019 and 2025 US Open, Coco ranked second in the world from June 10, 2024, to August 18, 2025. This ranking represents the highest position she has ever held.

However, the two players' different journeys over the past six years yielded the same result when they met again at Flushing Meadows. Osaka outplayed Coco with solid baseline play.

She excelled in all aspects of her game, both on serve and on the receiving end. Osaka capitalized on four break points, while Coco didn't even have a chance to break her opponent's serve.

Coco even showed her weaknesses on serve again. She committed five double faults, two of them when trailing 5-3 in the first set. These double faults on serve were among the 33 unforced errors she made in the relatively short match, lasting one hour and four minutes.

"I made a lot of mistakes, too many. But that won't get me down," said Coco.

Osaka will continue her journey by facing Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals in the lower half of the draw will take place between Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova.

This match marks Osaka's first quarterfinal at a Grand Slam event since winning the Australian Open in 2021. Prior to the US Open 2025, her best results were four third-round finishes in 12 tournaments.

Osaka's confidence has returned since she was accompanied by Tomasz Wiktorowski, a coach renowned for his tactical expertise. Wiktorowski guided Swiatek to become the world number one tennis player, securing four out of a total of six Grand Slam titles between 2022 and 2024. With his capabilities, the individual who served as the captain of the Polish Fed Cup team in 2015 received the award for Best Coach of 2023 from the WTA.

Throughout the match, Osaka played effectively and comfortably, earning points. After making an unforced error, she smiled, regretted her mistake, and then returned to solid play.

The high intensity of her play did not diminish from the start—Osaka immediately broke Coco's serve in the first game—up until the last game. Confidence was also evident in her demeanor, in contrast to Coco, who displayed a resigned expression and body language.

During an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez on the field, Osaka once again displayed her gentle demeanor in conversation. "I am a sensitive person. I do not want to cry, but this place and this tournament mean a lot to me. I enjoy every moment when I can compete again against the best tennis players in the world," she said. (ap/reuters)