Despite winning the US Open twice, Naomi Osaka entered the tournament as an underdog. Yes, she did reach the Montreal Open final last month, but to dominate the third-seeded 6-3, 6-2 on Labor Day in front of a 23,771 crowd cheering for their local favorite Coco Gauff, well, no one saw it coming. And while the Japanese did own the moment, she also showed her big heart for Gauff yet again.

“It’s definitely really special, honestly,” an emotionally charged Naomi Osaka said, “I look up to her a lot. I think the way that she conducts herself—I hope that’s the right word, conduct—yeah, I think it’s really special. I feel like to be such an amazing role model at such a young age is a gift, and it’s a talent that she has. I have all the respect in the world for her, so.”

Coco Gauff left the court promptly after the match. The crowd gave her one last cheer as she waved goodbye, while Naomi Osaka soaked in the applause during her post-match interview.

The win marked her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in four and a half years, a gap of 1,658 days. At 27, she also cracked the WTA top 20 rankings once again. And with her entry to yet another grand slam QF, she is not the underdog anymore but a serious contender. Because every time Osaka has managed to reach a grand slam quarter-final, she has gone on to win the title, winning 12 wins from 12 matches at majors in the last eight or beyond.

For Gauff, this was to be her third quarterfinal appearance at the US Open and her fifth in her Grand Slam career. Both players are showing why they’re stars to watch! However, once again, it was Naomi’s time to shine! She knew exactly what she was getting into when coming into the match. On the other hand, it’s not the first or second time she has been respectful towards the young American.

Naomi Osaka reveals her thoughts on Coco ahead of clash

This tournament has marked Osaka’s first GS at the later stages since giving birth, and she didn’t miss a chance to praise Coco Gauff with a heartfelt shout-out. “I’m always really proud of everything that she does. She seems like such a good person,” the former world No. 1 told ESPN. “And just everything that she’s doing and speaking out about so many different topics—it’s something that I would love my kid to look up after her as a role model. I cheer for her every match that she plays.”

Now, Osaka is gearing up to face Gauff again at the US Open, six years after their first showdown. Back then, Gauff was just 15, fresh from her Wimbledon breakthrough, while Osaka was 19. The match ended with a tough 6-3, 6-0 loss for Gauff, who broke down in tears. Osaka comforted her and encouraged her to address the crowd—a moment both still recall fondly.

Looking back, Naomi Osaka says their 2023 rematch will be something special. “Obviously, we had, like, a really special moment here that a lot of people remember. For me, also, she’s like the main star of the US Open. I didn’t play on Ashe yet. So it’s just a combination of all those things.” Plus, she flagged Gauff’s status as a US Open champ after her big 2023 win over Aryna Sabalenka. “Then, also, after I had Shai, I came to the US Open to watch her play [Karolina] Muchova I think. I just feel happy, because I feel like all of my hard work is amounting to something.”

Now, with another win over Coco, Osaka strides into the Grand Slam quarterfinals for the first time this season. It’s been a rocky road—an abdominal injury at the Australian Open, a first-round French Open loss to Paula Badosa, and a Wimbledon exit in the third round against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

But with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski by her side, things are looking up. Could this be Naomi Osaka’s moment to shine deeper in the majors? Share your thoughts in the comments and catch every update on the Live Blog!