WTA China Open: Coco Gauff vs Naomi Osaka; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

It's happening! Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka have been in the same section of draws slated to face each other in R16/QF in quite a few tournaments this year. However, every time fans were deprived of this nail-biting contest between these two champions of women's tennis. Gauff is now all set to take on Osaka in the R16 of the China Open. It has been almost more than two years since these two crossed each other's path on the Tour. Who will win this blockbuster showdown in Beijing?

Interestingly, both the players have made some changes in their coaching team recently and they have been firing on all cylinders so far. After their last meeting in San Jose, we saw Naomi Osaka heaping praise on Coco Gauff. "She's very much a star, It's very clear, she's very important to the game," said Osaka. From rising star to superstar, Gauff has traveled a long way, but now it'll be interesting to see if she can overcome this massive challenge from the 4-time Grand Slam champion.

Coco Gauff vs Naomi Osaka: Preview Coco Gauff had a stellar start to her season this year. She won the ASB Classic and then went on to reach the SF of the 2024 AO. After that, she made quite a few long runs including her SF appearance at the French Open, but she failed to deliver when it mattered the most. Surprisingly, her performances at the North American hard court swing were pretty much ordinary. Fans are keen to see her come up with her A-game on the Asian swing. Coco Gauff defeated France's Clara Burel in her first match by two sets and then again in the next match, she literally outclassed the British superstar, Katie Boulter by 7-5,6-2. What will be the scoreline in the next?

Before jumping straight to the scoreline, let's take a closer look at Naomi Osaka's season. She is now aiming for her first title since the 2021 AO. Her best performances in this season came at the Qatar Open and s-Hertogenbosch, NL. Osaka reached the QF in both of those tournaments. Apart from these two, there haven't been any noteworthy performances from her this season. She started her campaign in Beijing with a win against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti and then she faced a tough challenge from Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva. However, Naomi Osaka played an outstanding brand of tennis in her R32 match against America's Katie Volynets. She defeated her by 6-3,6-2.

Gauff vs Osaka: Head-to-Head The stage is set! It's time to deliver. Currently, the H2H record between Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka is well-poised at 2-2. Fans are eager to see who takes the next step forward in this epic rivalry.

Prediction: Gauff to win in three sets Looking at the pattern of the results from their previous encounters, it seems that it's now turn for the Japanese. However, we're keeping Coco Gauff ahead in this contest! Reason? Mainly because of her overall form in the 2024 season. Coco Gauff is currently ranked 6th in the world and she has a win-loss record of 41-15. However, Naomi Osaka (73) has only managed to put up a win-loss record of 18-16 this season. So, looking at their current rankings and forms, it looks like the American is most likely to get an edge in this contest.

For Osaka, this is her first Beijing appearance since she won the China Open title in 2019. Interestingly, Naomi Osaka has a win-loss record of 13-2 this season, so she can't be ruled out completely from this matchup. We're expecting a tough fight between these two!

If we take a look at the playing styles of both these players, Coco Gauff describes her playing style as aggressive, but fans often see her taking up a defensive approach in her matches. She has a strong serve and can cause a few troubles for Naomi Osaka with her lethal backhands. Although Gauff has hit 186 aces this season, she has committed 315 double faults. She has been struggling with her serve and forehand, in the last few months and Osaka will be keen to take advantage of the American's weaknesses.

Apart from these, Gauff's incredible athleticism and swift court coverage make her a real threat on the Tour. She can also mix up her shots pretty well enough to confuse her opponent. Coco Gauff has a unique ability to come out on top in most situations during the longer rallies. So, for Osaka to succeed, she must not let Gauff play her natural game and the Japanese must force her into uncomfortable positions right from the word 'go' in this match.

On the other hand, Naomi Osaka has an aggressive baseline game. Her incredible raw power, especially on her forehand and her serve, is truly exceptional. Osaka has hit 214 aces this season and has committed just 91 double faults. So far in this tournament, Naomi Osaka has hit 19 aces in her three matches. How many do you think she will hit against Coco Gauff? Apart from firing aces toward her opponents, Osaka is also known for her incredible grit to win longer rallies. Since both these players are quite used to sealing the deal in longer rallies, we can surely expect some fireworks from this match. However, talking about the winner, well Coco Gauff is more likely to win this contest!