Naomi Osaka delivered a dominant performance at the US Open, defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2021 Australian Open. The No. 23-seeded Osaka showcased a return to her championship form, leaving the No. 3-seeded Gauff struggling with errors.

Osaka expressed her joy and relief after the match. "I'm a little sensitive and I don't want to cry, but honestly, I just had so much fun out here," she said. She reminisced about watching Gauff from the stands shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, and expressed how much it meant to her to be back on the court. "This is my favorite court in the world, and it means so much to me to be back here," Osaka added.

The match, held in front of a packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, was a rematch of their famous 2019 US Open encounter. This time, however, there were "no tears, no consolations," just a dominant display from the four-time Grand Slam champion. Osaka's performance was described as "almost flawless," capitalizing on Gauff's early nerves and struggles with her service game.

Osaka's commanding presence was evident from the start, winning eight of the first nine points. She broke Gauff's serve in the opening game and continued to apply pressure throughout the match. Gauff, on the other hand, struggled with unforced errors, totaling 33 compared to Osaka's 12. Her forehand proved particularly problematic, with 20 unforced errors coming off that side.

While Gauff had been working on remodelling her service motion with a biomechanics expert, she still struggled with double faults, serving five in the match. Osaka, in contrast, won 85% of her service points and 94% of her first-serve points.

Osaka's mental fortitude was also on display, as she remained focused and positive throughout the match. She has won 10 of her past 11 matches. This contrasted with Gauff's body language, who at times appeared confused and upset.

Gauff acknowledged her disappointing performance, stating, "It was not the level I wanted to bring. But it is a step in the right direction". She admitted that she had put a lot of pressure on herself and that the past three months had been tough. However, she remained optimistic, saying, "I am not going to let this crush me. I look forward to the future and making more improvements".

With this victory, Osaka advances to the US Open quarter-finals, marking her first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance since the 2021 Australian Open. Historically, Osaka has an impressive record when reaching this stage of a major, having won the title every time she's reached the quarter-finals. She will face either No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova or No. 27 seed Marta Kostyuk in the next round.