Naomi Osaka & Coco Gauff Facing Off in China Open

Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are scheduled to meet in the China Open.

Aug 31, 2019; Flushing, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan (right) greets Coco Gauff of the USA after their third round match on day six of the 2019 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Few tennis players on the WTA Tour have more compelling stories than Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. Now, they are scheduled to play each other in the Round of 16 at the China Open on Tuesday morning.

Since the draw was first announced, eager tennis fans had this potential matchup circled on their calendars. Luckily for those fans, Osaka defeated Katie Volynets in straight sets on Monday. Meanwhile, Gauff defeated Katie Boulter on Sunday.

#ChinaOpen 2019 champion @naomiosaka defeats Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the 4th round for the first time since she last played here 5 years ago.

Osaka will next meet No. 4 seed Coco Gauff and this will be their 5th meeting (tied 2-2).#2024ChinaOpen #AllForPassion pic.twitter.com/G6JTexZaNq

— China Open (@ChinaOpen) September 30, 2024

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has made her return to the court this year after missing time due to injuries and then giving birth to her first child.

Gauff won her first Grand Slam title last September at the US Open and reached her career-high World No. 2 ranking earlier this year. However, she has struggled throughout the summer and struggled to regain her form.

Class. Act. 👏

After defeating Coco Gauff in straight sets, Naomi Osaka asked the 15-year-old to join her for the encore interview. pic.twitter.com/kcat7fRggr

— espnW (@espnW) September 1, 2019

Both Osaka and Gauff have fired and hired new coaches this month and have looked strong since shaking up their coaching staff.

The two players have played each other four times, with a record of 2-2. Gauff won their last meeting in 2022 and appeared to be a challenge from a younger generation of talented players.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

• Coco Gauff reflects on her summer after early exit from the US Open.

• Iga Swiatek explained why she will not play in the China Open.

• Emma Raducanu will miss the China Open after suffering a foot injury.