Naomi Osaka dominated Coco Gauff with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory at the U.S. Open, showcasing a more assured and consistent style of play to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in over four and a half years.

The No. 23-seeded Osaka was better throughout than No. 3 Gauff, whose repeated mistakes really made the difference in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I was extremely focused, honestly. I was truly focused,” declared Osaka, a 27-year-old born in Japan who relocated to the U.S. with her family when she was 3. “I felt like everyone wanted to see an exciting match, and I hope we delivered that.”

From Osaka’s end, the match was indeed impressive. She exhibited the calm presence — along with a powerful serve and strong groundstrokes — that have led her to win four major titles, all on hard courts. These accomplishments include victories at the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020, and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.

In the 2021 French Open, Osaka initiated a global conversation about mental health by revealing her struggles with anxiety and depression, which led her to temporarily step away from the sport.

Her latest title at the Australian Open marked her last appearance beyond the fourth round of any major tournament until her clash with Gauff, a 21-year-old Floridian with two major titles: one in Flushing Meadows in 2023 and another at the French Open this June.

This recent performance signifies Osaka’s return to form since resuming her career after a 17-month break for maternity leave. Her child, Shai, was born in July 2023.

“I’m a little sensitive and I don’t want to cry, but honestly, I just had so much fun out here,” said Osaka, who first played Gauff back at the 2019 U.S. Open, also in Ashe, and won that one, too.

“I was in the stands like two months after I gave birth to my daughter, watching Coco. I just really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play,” Osaka told the crowd. “This is my favorite court in the world, and it means so much for me to be back here.”

Gauff came out jittery at the start. Her serve was fine; other strokes were the problem. She finished with 33 unforced errors — way more than Osaka’s 12.

Trying to rework her serve during this tournament with the help of biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, Gauff got broken right off the bat and was down 2-0 after just five minutes, dropping eight of the initial nine points while making five unforced errors.

Whether because it’s what the prematch strategy dictated or because of how the beginning unfolded, Gauff cranked up the velocity in her second service game. The results were unimpeachable. She hit four first serves in — each arriving no slower than 110 mph, with a high of 115 mph — and held at love with a pair of aces and a pair of service winners.

Still, this is where the key difference was: Osaka used her big forehand, her best stroke, to go after Gauff’s forehand, her worst stroke, and it worked wonders. By the end of the first set, Gauff had made 16 unforced errors and Osaka only five.

Osaka slapped her left thigh between points and repeatedly told herself, “Come on! Come on!”

That positive body language was quite a contrast to Gauff’s. She repeatedly would put her palms up or gesture toward her team in the stands, looking confused or upset.