Coco Gauff bested Naomi Osaka at the 2024 China Open, but it wasn't a victory that she wanted to record, as her opponent retired because of an injury.
The two met in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing. Having a good run was important for both, and reaching a quarter-final, in which the World No. 115, Yulia Starodubtseva, awaits, was certainly a result that both wanted to achieve.
Still, only one could win, and early on, it seemed that Osaka would be that player. She won the first set of the match 6-3, and in the second set, she led 4-3, but it was then that she started having physical issues.
Ultimately, Osaka was forced to retire from the match, sending Gauff into the quarter-finals in Beijing. It was a very sad ending to the match, but it also created an opportunity for the 20-year-old prodigy to show her class.
Speaking immediately after the match, the 2023 US Open champion was very complimentary of Osaka, as she stressed multiple times that she hoped the Japanese player's injury was just a minor issue and not something that would derail her comeback.
"I didn't, obviously, wanted to win like this. I always love-hate playing Naomi, I think it's something the fans enjoy. It’s good to see her back on the court, and hopefully, it’s just a minor injury."
"I thought she was playing good tennis up until the injury, so it's good to see her back. I know she loves the sport, and she's trying to play at her level, and each tournament, she's getting better."
The young American also shared what she told her opponent. Gauff said that she told Osaka that she should be proud of herself because she has plenty of reasons to be.
"But I think she’s doing a good job. And I tell her she should be proud of herself because I know it's difficult sometimes, and she's probably had to deal with it on a greater scale than I do. "
"It's not easy. I think this is her first time winning three matches in a tournament [for a while]. So physically, you can do all the running you want but match-fit is different. Hopefully, she'll be fine. I think she's signed up for Wuhan."
During the match, Gauff wasn't particularly sure what her opponent's problem was, but she obviously noticed that Osaka was struggling, mostly on her serve.
"I wasn't sure if it was her hip or back, I just knew that towards the end she could barely jump on her serve, so I knew that it was something that, in the moment, was probably bad but hopefully it's something that's not a long-term thing."
Still, Gauff didn't expect the former World No. 1 to retire from the match, and she was very surprised when Osaka announced that she wouldn't continue playing.
"Towards the end of the second set, I really saw it was hampering her movement a lot. Even if you saw that last point, I was just trying to keep the ball in because I knew what was going on. But I didn't expect her to retire at that moment, honestly."
Gauff didn't wait around, and knowing that her opponent's issue might have been a back injury, she gathered her bags and helped her to leave the tennis court, which was a very nice gesture.
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