Naomi Osaka's touching Coco Gauff comment after returning to US Open to see rival

Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff will renew their old rivalry at the US Open on Monday, as they face off for a spot in the quarter-finals. The four-time Major winner and the world No. 3 have had some memorable encounters in Flushing Meadows, most notably in 2019, when Osaka beat a 15-year-old Gauff and invited her to complete the on-court interview together.

But Osaka has her own special memory of Gauff in New York. Two years ago, just weeks after she gave birth, the Japanese star came to the US Open to watch her young rival in action and admitted she would love her own daughter to look up to the American as a "role model".

The former world No. 1 has already reached a milestone this fortnight, as this is the first time she's made it into the second week of a Grand Slam tournament since 2021. Osaka took a 16-month break from the sport for the pregnancy and birth of her first child, Shai, and returned to competition last January.

Her comeback has gained real momentum in the last few weeks, as she stormed into the Canadian Open final, and she's now back into the last 16 of a Major. Her reward? A mouthwatering showdown with Gauff.

The American leads their head-to-head by three wins to two losses, but one of those victories came via retirement. Osaka has only faced Gauff once since she made her comeback from pregnancy and retired at one set all during their Beijing round-of-16 clash last October.

But it will be a full circle moment for them to face off in New York, as Osaka came to watch her young rival in action in the semi-finals here a couple of years ago, when Gauff went on to lift the title.

It was Osaka's first appearance at a tennis tournament in any capacity since she had given birth, and she publicly voiced her support for Gauff with a heartwarming comment.

"I'm always really proud of everything that she does. She seems like such a good person," the former world No. 1 told ESPN at the time.

"And just everything that she's doing and speaking out about so many different topics - it's something that I would love my kid to look up after her as a role model. I cheer for her every match that she plays."

Now, it will be Osaka's turn to meet Gauff at the US Open once again. The pair faced off for the first time here six years ago. At the time, Gauff was just 15 years old, and their match came a few weeks after the American enjoyed her breakthrough at Wimbledon.

Gauff was in tears after suffering a bruising 6-3 6-0 defeat to Osaka, but the Japanese star comforted her and encouraged her to address the crowd. It was a poignant moment that still sticks in both of their minds. But to Osaka, her 2023 visit is even more prominent.

Explaining why it would be so special to face the 21-year-old again, Osaka said: "Obviously we had, like, a really special moment here that a lot of people remember.

"For me, also, she's like the main star of the US Open. I didn't play on Ashe yet. So it's just a combination of all those things.

"Then, also, after I had Shai, I came to the US Open to watch her play [Karolina] Muchova I think. I just feel happy, because I feel like all of my hard work is amounting to something."

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