After both won their matches at the 2024 China Open, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka will get a chance to face each other at the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, and it promises to be a spectacular match.
The two are a fascinating match-up on paper, not only because they play differently. On the one hand, Osaka is an insanely skilled baseliner capable of hitting incredible shots from all sorts of angles and positions.
On the other hand, Gauff is a completely different player. The American isn't a natural hitter but relies more on her athleticism, which is off the charts. Of course, she's a skilled player, even though not necessarily one that will blow her opponents off the court.
She grinds out points and finds advantages through long rallies, as opposed to Osaka, who is an aggressive player. That makes their match-up extremely interesting, especially since both have played really well at the China Open so far.
Osaka won her matches very comfortably, but Gauff showed her qualities as well, which makes this meeting so exciting, with two excellent players in solid form with contrasting styles.
Head-to-head:
Gauff and Osaka played a couple of times against each other, but not a single time in recent years. It's been two years since the last time they played, as it happened in 2022, and that last match was won by Gauff 6-4, 6-4.
Before that, they played three more times, and Gauff won only one of those. There is not much to be concluded by that because it's been a while since they last played.
Both are very different players in many respects, and this meeting will show a lot. There are ways for both to win, and they're very obvious. Osaka, on her best day, can hit through Gauff without any issues.
The 20-year-old, on her best day, can get most balls back, which should frustrate the Japanese player, so the match will quite literally come down to which player finds their best tennis on that given day.
The keys to victory are different for both but rely upon them finding the better side of their potential level.
| Coco Gauff | Naomi Osaka | |
| 2 | H2H | 2 |
| 6 | Rank | 73 |
| 20 | Age | 26 |
| 41-14 | 2024 W/L | 22-16 |
| 216-96 | Career W/L | 287-164 |
Prediction
Ultimately, Gauff will likely win this match for several reasons. The conditions in Beijing suit her game perfectly, highlighted by her making the semi-final last year.
The court is very bouncy, which will give her enough time to get to too many balls. She's very quick, which should help with that. Osaka hasn't shown herself capable of sustaining that great hitting for most of a tennis match after her comeback to the sport.
She produced only a couple of those performances this year, and the likelihood of her finding that, especially against Gauff, seems unlikely. It could technically happen—she's the type of player that generally gives Gauff plenty of problems—but it's far less likely to happen in Beijing.
Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in two sets.
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