Naomi Osaka returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium to face Coco Gauff in the fourth round and won 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes. The victory advanced Osaka to her first major quarterfinal since 2021 and represented a significant comeback after giving birth two months earlier and being three years removed from her last US Open title. Osaka had watched Gauff advance to the US Open final as a spectator and later resumed practice with renewed motivation. The match drew a capacity crowd but contained little drama as Osaka produced a dominant performance against the tournament's No. 3 seed.
For Osaka, it was a stark reminder of where she had been -- and where she was in the current moment. She was three years removed from her last title at the tournament, and just two months from giving birth to her daughter Shai. Being a spectator reminded her of what it was like to play in front of 24,000 people when the lights were shining brightest. She couldn't wait to get out there again.
"I'm a little sensitive and I don't want to cry, but honestly I just had so much fun out here," Osaka said on the court moments later. "I was telling everyone, literally I was in the stands two months after I gave birth to my daughter watching Coco. I just really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play. This is my favorite court in the world and it means so much to me to be back here."
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