Coco Gauff has just been sent a warning ahead of her match with Naomi Osaka, told to be careful of one thing that the two-time US Open champion will look to attack.
It has been a tumultuous campaign for the 21-year-old thus far, riddled with persisting serving woes and fluctuating emotions.
In fact, the pressure of it all seemingly became too much during her battling win over Donna Vekic, as she revealed she had a panic attack on-court midway through that match.
Alas, Coco Gauff lets nothing slow her down, and her ability to continue grinding out wins despite being so far from her best is indicative of what a supreme competitor she is.
Naomi Osaka will pose a completely different threat to the three players she has faced so far in New York though, and with that in mind, she has been warned.
Coco Gauff sent warning ahead of her Naomi Osaka showdown
Talking to X, it was Rick Macci who offered his advice to Gauff, as a man renowned for his work developing young talent.
After all, as the proud owner of his own tennis academy and the one who helped develop Serena and Venus Williams no less, he knows all about cultivating some of the greatest sporting talent this country has ever seen.
Speaking about today’s blockbuster match, he would write: “Coco has to be ready for Naomi munching and crunching on her second serve.
“Look for Coco to hit the 80 mph kicker on the first try as Naomi will be back a little farther to reply. The Olympic sprinter will have a few more milliseconds to counterpunch instead of inviting Osaka for lunch.”
Elsewhere, another pundit claimed that Osaka will be the one to decide her match with Gauff.
What happened the last time Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka played?
It has been just shy of a year since we got to see these two titans of the sport clash, and since then, so much has changed for both of them.
After all, Osaka was coming to the end of her first year back competing on tour, having taken an elongated break after the birth of her child.
Admitting to struggling to adapt, it’s so refreshing to see her back in the kind of form that could seriously challenge for the US Open title.
Meanwhile, Gauff has since claimed her second major at the French Open, despite blatant issues with her forehand and serve.
Their last meeting came in Beijing in October of last year. The American was the victor, but only through the retirement of her opponent, as Osaka continued to struggle to recapture her fitness.
Hopefully, there will be no such issue today, and we are gifted a clean, high-quality affair to decide one US Open quarter-finalist.
