Naomi Osaka will finally be back to competitions in Cincinnati after going through a tough period. Unfortunately, she will probably have an extremely tough opening match against Cori Gauff.
The struggle
Naomi Osaka hit the headlines a few months ago after she retired from the French Open because she was not able to cope with attending press conferences. Later, Naomi withdrew also from Wimbledon to play only the Olympic Games in Tokyo where she lost in the third round.
After losing in Japan, Naomi Osaka confessed that she was unsure when she would be back to competitions. After she decided not to play in Montreal, some people thought that she would have skipped the entire season. Fortunately, Naomi will be part of the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati, where she is seeded number 2.
Nevertheless, Naomi Osaka is expected to face Coco Gauff in her opening match. The Japanese player has a bye for the second round while Coco will face a qualifier in the first round.
Here is the draw.
Naomi Osaka in 2021
At the moment ranked no.2, Naomi played her last match on the 27th of July when she capitulated to world no.42 Marketa Vondrousova 6-1 6-4 in the 3rd round in Tokyo (draw).
This season Osaka owns a 16-4 match record. The Japanese has won 1 title at the Australian Open.
Cori Gauff in 2021
Now ranked no.24, Gauff played her last match on the 13th of August when she was overcome by world no.71 Camila Giorgi 6-4 7-6(2) in the quarter in Montreal (draw).
This season Cori has achieved an overall 33-13 record. The American conquered 1 title in Parma.
Naomi Osaka and Cori Gauff faced off just twice. Their current head to head is 1-1. Previously, the last time they locked horns, Cori Gauff won 6-3 6-4 in the 3rd round in Melbourne (Australian Open) in January 2020.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
Naomi Osaka and Cori Gauff |
| Embed from Getty Images |
Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff may face off in a blockbuster second round in Cincinnati
