Naomi Osaka’s story has always been tied to New York. It was here, as a 20-year-old in 2018, that she won her first major title, unflappable in the face of relative inexperience. Seven years later, it is again at the US Open where she reminds the sport of her place in its marquee. In a crisp 64 minutes the other day, she dismissed world number three Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-2, with the type of command that once made her the gold standard on hard courts. The stat line — 15 of 16 first-serve points won, four breaks converted — speaks of precision, but the larger point is harder to miss: She is no longer searching for herself. She has arrived once more.
For Osaka, the path back was never assured. Time away for maternity, uneven form, and the burden of outsized expectations could have consigned her as an also-ran in the dustbin of history. Instead, Osaka returned deliberately, her progress measured but unmistakable. Earlier flashes in Canada suggested momentum, but Flushing Meadows demanded much, much more, and, against Gauff, she supplied it in spades. Gone was the tentativeness with which she approached her early matches this season. She pressed the action with self-assurance, strategically flattening her shots and thereby rendering the reigning French Open champion helpless.
Creditably, Gauff accepted the result sans excuses. She acknowledged the avalanche of errors she made in uncharacteristic fashion, but pledged to stay positive moving forward. To be sure, resilience has always been her calling card. Her disappointing showing at Arthur Ashe Stadium notwithstanding, she understands more opportunities will come. She is, after all, as much the present of tennis as its future.
Make no mistake, however: It is Osaka who has made a definitive statement. The triumph marks her first foray into the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam event since 2021. If nothing else, the interregnum highlights the challenges she had to overcome en route. Now, each step carries the weight of validation, proof that the unique blend of instinct and skill that hitherto netted her four majors have not dulled. The composure on serve, the uncluttered aggression, the confidence to dictate: all were hallmarks of the champion she was, repurposed to declare to all and sundry who she still is.
At 27, Osaka is not retracing her career but resuming it. The hardware on her mantel are no museum pieces, and her game, honed by perspective and persistence, looks ready for more. Against Gauff, she did not need drama or flourish to make her case. She simply played, directly and without apology, as though she had never left. And, in so doing, she basked in the Gotham klieg lights — where she first made her mark, and where she continue to belong.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.