Drumming up interest for the looming 2024 Australian Open, the tournament’s official Instagram account posted a reel showing 15-year-old Coco Gauff defeating Naomi Osaka. After the win, the American light-heartedly remarked how far she had come in the tournament in a couple of years.
Following a landmark 2023 season, Gauff is amongst the favourites to lift the trophy in Melbourne this year. However, the returning 2-time champion Naomi Osaka will not be a walkover despite her long break. Before making a comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International, the Japanese athlete last played in September 2022. Despite the long hiatus, she looked in great touch even though she went out in the second round.
Osaka won her first Australian Open title in 2019, but her title defence the following year was cut short by Gauff. The latter made headlines after downing Venus Williams in the first round.
Gauff, only 15, met defending champion Osaka in the third round. She scored a straight-set upset victory over the third seed, winning 6-3, 6-4. Both stars played great tennis but the teenager was by far the better player on the day. In the post-match on-court interview, Gauff reflected on how she had lost in the first round of the girl’s singles in 2018, and how far she had come two years later, defeating the reigning champion.
Gauff became known to the tennis fraternity after reaching the fourth round of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships as a 15-year-old in her first Grand Slam main draw appearance. However, as she mentioned, she had crashed out of the girl’s singles in the first round at the 2018 AO. Gauff has definitely come a long way since then, developing into a genuine contender and an elite player. The World No.4 recently lifted her seventh WTA title, the third-highest for a teenager after 2000.
Coco Gauff vs. Naomi Osaka head-to-head
Coco Gauff is expected to challenge for the 2024 Australian Open title following a 2023 season full of new highs. She won her first Grand Slam, the 2023 US Open, and is among the leading picks for Slam Down Under as well. Her preparation got off to a great start as she defended her ASB Classic title in Auckland. Osaka, meanwhile, showed glimpses of her old self in the two matches she played.
Against each other, Gauff and Osaka are level. Their head-to-head is tied 2-2, with the former winning their last clash. The American triumphed 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 16 of the 2022 Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose. The duo first crossed paths in the third round of the 2019 US Open, Gauff’s second main draw campaign in her career.
Osaka beat the 15-year-old wildcard in straight sets with a bagel. Gauff, though, soon exacted revenge with the milestone 2020 Australian Open third-round victory, revisited by the tournament in the above reel. The Japanese star won their third meeting in the 2021 Cincinnati Masters.
Osaka, ranked World No.833, will enter the 2024 Australian Open main draw using her Protected Ranking. Gauff, meanwhile, would be seeded high, presumably #4. Hence, the two superstars could square off early in the tournament, which would be a delight for the fans.
