Naomi Osaka delivered a commanding statement victory at the US Open on Monday, dismantling home favorite Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek also stormed into the quarter-finals, setting up thrilling matchups in New York.
The Japanese star overwhelmed third seed Gauff in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on Labor Day, breaking serve in the very first game and maintaining relentless pressure throughout. Osaka’s serve remained impeccable as Gauff struggled with 33 unforced errors in a one-sided clash between two former US Open champions.
“This is my favorite court in the world, and it means so much to be back here today,” Osaka said after the match. “This stage feels special. I’m just enjoying it and having fun—it’s kind of uncharted territory for me at this point in my career.”
At 27, Osaka is enjoying her deepest run at a Grand Slam since winning the Australian Open in 2021. Her journey back to the top has been a painstaking one after returning to competitive tennis last year following the birth of her daughter in 2023.
“I was in the stands two months after giving birth, watching Coco play, and I really wanted the chance to come back and compete,” Osaka reflected. She previously defeated a 15-year-old Gauff in their first meeting at the 2019 US Open.
Gauff admitted the emotional toll of a tough week and the effort to rebuild her serve had drained her physically and mentally.
“I think emotionally this week has been a lot. Today, I just felt empty stepping on the court,” said the 20-year-old American.
Osaka will face Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova in Wednesday’s quarter-finals. Muchova defeated Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-7 (0/7), 6-3 and is chasing her third consecutive semi-final appearance at Flushing Meadows.
Sinner crushes Bublik to defend title bid
Reigning men’s champion Jannik Sinner crushed Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in just 81 minutes to kick off the evening session. Bublik, who had not dropped serve all tournament and was the only player to beat Sinner this season apart from Carlos Alcaraz, was broken eight times by the world number one.
“He had a tough match last time, and today he didn’t serve as well as usual. I broke him early and I’m very happy with my performance,” Sinner said.
Bublik smiled and congratulated Sinner at the net, telling him, “You’re so good, this is insane.”
Sinner now faces an all-Italian quarter-final against 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who dominated Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 to reach his first US Open quarter-final.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek brushed aside Russian 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1 in under an hour, extending her Grand Slam winning streak to 11 matches. The second seed aims to claim her second US Open crown.
“I felt like she played fast in the beginning, but later on I was in my bubble—completely in the zone,” said Swiatek.
She will meet Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals—a rematch of the Wimbledon final Swiatek won 6-0, 6-0. Anisimova earned her spot by dispatching 18th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3.
Eighth seed Alex de Minaur cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, breaking serve eight times in a dominant performance. De Minaur, aiming for his first Grand Slam semi-final, will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Auger-Aliassime beat Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, reaching his first major quarter-final in three years. His best Grand Slam run remains a semi-final appearance at the US Open in 2021.
“It feels even better than the first time,” the 25-year-old Canadian said. “Back then, I was still on my way up. After setbacks and struggles with confidence, coming back here now feels much better.”
AFP
