Coco Gauff never forgets.
The 19-year-old American booked a spot in her first US Open final with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Karolina Muchova on Thursday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and after the match, recalled her first—and much less jovial—occasion inside the Open's biggest stadium.
Let's flash back: At the 2019 US Open, Gauff, 15, lost to then-defending champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets under the lights in her Ashe debut. An emotional Gauff was reduced to tears afterwards on court, but was comforted by Osaka as a sold-out crowd applauded. The pair exchanged words at the net, which turned into a joint on-court interview—at Osaka's insistence—with ESPN commentator Mary Joe Fernandez.
“When I shook her hand, I saw that she was kind of tearing up a little," Osaka said at the time. "Then it reminded me how young she was. … I was just thinking it would be nice for her to address the people that came and watched her play. They were cheering for her.”
Tears turned to triumph against Muchova four years later, and Gauff made sure to tell Osaka, seated in the front row for the match as a fan, just how much that moment meant to her.
(Osaka is on currently maternity leave from tennis, having given birth to her daughter, Shai, in July.)
"Naomi, I remember the moment we had on this court ... it meant a lot to me," Gauff said. "I’m so excited to have you back on tour and hopefully, I get to meet your daughter. Thank you so much for coming and hi to your mom as well."
Gauff is the first American teenager to make the women's final at the US Open since Serena Williams in 2001. She’s looking to become the fourth American woman to win the Open this century after Serena, her sister Venus and Sloane Stephens.
