Is the much-anticipated moment finally here? As the tennis season nears its end, fans might have thought the excitement had peaked—but the Asian swing has plenty of surprises left. The latest buzz from the China Open has tennis enthusiasts on the edge of their seats for one big reason: a potential clash between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff! With both stars returning in form, the prospect of these two powerhouses facing off is sending shockwaves through the tennis world.
Both Osaka and Gauff have cruised into the Round of 32 at the China Open. They have depicted some sensational skills in the tournament and look in great shape. While the American star will be facing her British counterpart Katie Boulter in the next round, Osaka will be facing Katie Volynets in their first-ever encounter. If they manage to outshine their opponents, they will face each other in a much-awaited Round of 16 clash.
Remember, Osaka and Gauff are considered to be a developing rivalry in the tennis corridors. The duo have faced each other 4 times on the WTA circuit and have a head-to-head tally of 2-2. However, the last time they faced each other was way back in 2022, after which Osaka took a hiatus owing to her pregnancy and the current season has not seen them clashing so far. The thrill of the match can reach its peak especially because of the coaching changes that both players witnessed recently.
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Osaka parted ways with her long-time coach Wim Fissette and partnered with French man Patrick Mouratoglou in a remarkable decision. Similarly, Gauff split with Brad Gilbert and joined forces with Matt Daly. Now with Mouratoglou coming on Osaka’s side who has the experience of coaching some star players like Serena Williams and Holger Rune, the threat for Gauff can be quite high in the match. Interestingly, Osaka also highlighted that she considers Mouratoglou to be the person best fit to help her overcome her struggles. Will we witness this thrilling showdown? The chances are quite high.
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Osaka and Gauff have a similar upper hand in the next round of the tournament. While Gauff has a leveled head-to-head tally of 1-1 against Boulter, she has proved to be more dominant on the hard courts this season. The American star has won 23 of her 31 matches on the hard courts this season as against 16 of 23 matches of Boulter. This gives her an edge of almost 5% against the Brit on the surface. Besides, in the recently concluded US Open, Boulter was ousted in the second round itself as against Gauff’s campaign till the fourth round. Osaka, on the other hand, has similar potential.
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The Japanese star has won four grand slams on the hard courts, be it at the US Open or the Australian Open. Besides, she has depicted some great potential in her current campaign and has ousted a much higher-ranked player Yulia Putnitseva in the second round. With the buzz of her match against Gauff taking center stage, the Japanese star has often heaped praise on her American counterpart.
“ She’s doing a great job,” When Naomi Osaka was all praises for Coco Gauff
The latest edition of the US Open brought some emotional moments for both Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. While it was about returning back on one of her most successful venues for Osaka after a long hiatus, for Gauff, it was about overcoming the pressure and defending her title. Although both players could not clinch the titles, Osaka was seen singing praises for the American player.
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Speaking about Gauff at the US Open, Osaka said, “I think she’s doing a great job. Like, she’s really consistent. She’s number two right now, right? Three? That’s still really good.” Continuing further, she expressed her fascination with watching Gauff play. “I just really enjoy watching her progress and her process. I feel like everyone’s life is their own journey, and it’s fun to watch hers. She’s got a really good head on her shoulders.”
For now, it would be interesting to see if the star players engage in a thrilling encounter. Will the China Open bring the most-awaited moment for tennis enthusiasts? Well, only time will tell.