Coco Gauff’s Emotional Exit from the US Open
On Monday, Coco Gauff faced off against Naomi Osaka at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the 16th round of the US Open, a match that ended in disappointment for Gauff, who acknowledged the emotional toll of the loss.
Following her defeat, which saw her lose 6-3, 6-2, Gauff expressed to reporters that she felt “somehow broken.” She admitted that the unexpected performance from Osaka, a formidable opponent, made the loss even harder to digest.
“After the match, I was really disappointed,” Gauff shared. “I broke down with my team. Listening to their perspectives definitely highlighted some positives. If I had approached this match the way I did in Cincinnati, who knows—maybe I wouldn’t have even made it past the first round.”
In the lead-up to this tournament, Gauff made significant coaching changes, parting ways with Matt Daly and bringing in biomechanics expert Gavin McMillan. This decision aimed to refine her serve, as McMillan has experience with some of the best in the game, including top-ranked player Aryna Sabalenka.
Despite feeling some improvement in her game, Gauff still recorded 33 forced errors, which made it nearly impossible to compete effectively against Osaka, the tournament’s 23rd seed.
Looking forward, Gauff recognized that she and her team must refocus and recalibrate. “I feel like I need to make everything work together,” she noted. “I knew coming in that this tournament would be tough. Did I feel more confident after my last match? Yeah, it was definitely a boost.”
The match itself was an exciting spectacle at Flushing Meadows, especially as Osaka, a two-time US Open champion, celebrated her victory over Gauff. “I felt very locked in,” Osaka remarked about her performance. “Everyone wanted a great match, and I hope that’s what they witnessed.”
This marks Osaka’s return to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time since her win at the Australian Open in 2021. Since then, she has openly discussed her mental health challenges, which led to a hiatus from the sport.
Osaka gave birth to her daughter, Shay, in 2023 and is now set to face No. 11 Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
