Former World No. 2 Paula Badosa made a major breakthrough on Tuesday in Melbourne, defeating World No. 3 Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4 in the Australian Open quarterfinals. This victory marks Badosa’s first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal.
The 27-year-old Spaniard, who was named 2024’s Comeback Player of the Year after overcoming a career-threatening back injury, had been 0-2 in major quarterfinals prior to this win. Badosa handed Gauff her first loss of 2025, sealing the match in 1 hour and 43 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The first 10 games went with serve before Badosa secured a crucial break at 5-5 and never looked back.
Badosa’s aggressive play was evident, as she hit 31 winners—twice as many as Gauff—on her way to her first Top 10 victory at a Grand Slam.
“Today, I wanted to play my best tennis, and I think I did,” Badosa said after the match. “Coco was playing incredible at the start, but I’m so proud of my performance today.”
Reflecting on her journey, Badosa added: “A year ago, I was here with a back injury, unsure if I’d even be able to continue playing. Now, I’m in the semifinals. It’s incredible.”
Having lost to Gauff twice last season after being a set up—once in Rome on clay and again in Beijing, where Gauff went on to win the title—Badosa was determined not to let history repeat itself. A marathon 18-minute game early in the second set helped the No. 11 seed gain the upper hand, and though she failed to serve out the match at 5-2, she finished it off with two aces, an unreturned serve, and a forehand winner in the final game.
All four of Badosa’s career wins against Gauff have come in straight sets.
Badosa now awaits the winner of Tuesday night’s quarterfinal between World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and No. 21 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
