Chris Evert’s Behavior Towards Naomi Osaka Over Coco Gauff Under Fire: “Isn’t Good Enough”

The highly anticipated 2025 US Open fourth-round clash between Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka was meant to be a showcase of tennis excellence, but it instead became the backdrop for a brewing commentary controversy. On the court, Osaka delivered a masterclass, dismantling the third-seeded Gauff in a dominant straight-sets victory (6-3, 6-2) marked by her clean power and Gauff’s uncharacteristic 33 unforced errors.

However, the narrative surrounding the match quickly shifted from Osaka’s triumphant return to the behavior of 18-time Grand Slam champion and ESPN commentator Chris Evert, whose broadcast analysis ignited immediate and fierce backlash from viewers accusing her of blatant bias and unfair criticism.

The core of the controversy lies in Evert’s perceived focus on Coco Gauff’s emotional struggles and technical faults while failing to adequately credit Naomi Osaka’s commanding performance. Throughout the broadcast, Evert repeatedly highlighted Gauff’s “rough week” and the immense pressure she was under, often framing the match through the lens of the American’s disappointments rather than the Japanese star’s brilliance.

This approach led many fans to accuse the commentator of making incessant excuses for Gauff. The backlash has amplified a growing demand from the tennis community for greater objectivity and sensitivity in sports broadcasting. Fans and critics alike are calling on major networks like ESPN to ensure their commentators provide balanced coverage that gives appropriate credit to all athletes, regardless of their popularity.

Chris Evert’s comment about Coco Gauff triggered a lot of fans

Fans didn’t really vibe with how Chris Evert spoke about Coco Gauff. A fan pointed out, “ESPN did a whole tribute to Chris Evert and at the end the first thing she did was take a shot at Coco Gauff.” One fan called out Evert for bringing up a personal and emotional moment from Gauff’s past, writing, “Don’t understand why chris evert needed to bring up coco gauff’s tears just now. weird and unnecessary.”

Another fan called out Evert for not giving proper credit to Gauff’s opponents. Instead, they felt Evert just made excuses for Gauff’s losses, writing in a comment, “Chris Evert’s ongoing and incessant excuse-making and ‘contextualizing’ Coco Gauff’s loss again is nauseating. Tournament in, tournament out, Evert’s cheerleading for Gauff is irritating. Osaka just trounced her massively – quickly and easily – and Evert couldn’t give kudos to Osaka, no. It was about Coco not having it mentally and emotionally. It gets so old. It really does. I mean is she on Coco’s payroll? I’ll say it – Naomi Osaka was demonstrably, significantly better than Coco Gauff. Shame Chris Evert is so reluctant to give her props.”

Another fan commented, “What would it take for Chris Evert to just say Coco isn’t the best player on the Court? Or that if someone like Osaka or Sabalenka doesn’t beat themselves, Coco isn’t good enough to win?” A fan mentioned Evert’s bias, writing, “Chris Evert and her constant prattle are another reason to watch the US Open muted.” In the end, the whole controversy took away from what really should have been a moment to celebrate Naomi Osaka’s amazing performance and her triumphant comeback to the top of the sport.