Paula Badosa, despite her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 Australian Open semifinal, maintained a positive and lighthearted attitude post-match. In her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, Badosa was outplayed by Sabalenka, the defending champion, who won in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. The two players, known for their close friendship, shared a warm embrace at the net after the match.
Sabalenka, speaking on-court after her victory, joked about their friendship and offered Badosa a shopping trip, promising to cover the expenses. She quipped that Badosa might hate her for the next few hours but reassured that they’d soon be back to normal, enjoying outings together. Sabalenka said, “I promise Paula we’ll go shopping, and I’ll pay for whatever she wants,” while humorously noting that she’d set a limit because Badosa “can go crazy.”
Badosa, in her post-match press conference, responded to Sabalenka’s playful offer by joking that she’d ask for “something really expensive,” given that Sabalenka had doubled her prize money with her win. Sabalenka is guaranteed at least £955,000 for reaching the final, while Badosa will take home £553,000.
Despite the loss, Badosa expressed satisfaction with her performance at the tournament. After almost quitting tennis last year due to a persistent back injury, she was proud to have reached the semifinals. Sabalenka also praised Badosa’s perseverance and improvement, acknowledging the Spaniard’s challenges and applauding her return to form on the WTA circuit.
Badosa reflected that if she had to lose, it was at least to the best: “Of course I want to lose against the world No. 1 and against Aryna.” Sabalenka, now aiming for her third consecutive Australian Open title, will face either Madison Keys or Iga Swiatek in the final.
