'I want to see what she's going to bring' - Naomi Osaka relishing facing 'mature' Coco Gauff in San Jose

Two of the WTA Tour’s brightest stars will meet on Thursday as Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka face off in the second round of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose. Former world No. 1 Osaka is looking to get back into top form after missing the grass season due to an Achilles’ injury and splitting from coach Wim Fissette.

Gauff, 18, is looking to continue her progress towards the top after making the French Open final two months ago. Ad/> It will be the fourth meeting between the pair and is the most anticipated match-up of the North American swing so far. WTA San JoseOsaka survives Zheng challenge to set up second round Gauff meeting in San JoseYESTERDAY AT 07:50 'I want to see what she's going to bring' When wondering whether Osaka is soon/ever going to return to her best form, it’s easy to forget her career path in the years before her shock 2021 French Open withdrawal, after which she has only made one final.

Despite winning four Grand Slam titles, Osaka was never a year-round dominant force on the WTA Tour. Her majors were all won in different years and she has only won three other career titles. High-level consistency has not yet been Osaka’s forte; instead she has managed to produce her highest level at some of the biggest events on tour.

It’s difficult to know how far away she is from doing that again. She only won one match over the clay season and didn’t play at all on grass, but in her last hard-court event at the Miami Open in March she made the final. She has split with Fissette, who was with her when she won two majors, and is working again with her father, Leonard Francis, who Osaka says adds more of a “fun” factor to the team.