AO 2025 – 1/4 final: Melbourne is his kingdom – Roland-Garros

Day of firsts for Badosa!

First victory against a Top 10 player in a Grand Slam. First qualification in the last four of a Major. First success in the quarter-finals of a competition since last October: Paula Badosa has regained her former form.

“Coming today I wanted to play my best tennis and I think I did it“. Indeed, the Spaniard logically won against a too imprecise Coco Gauff (7/5, 6/4 in 1h43). The American, however, had a perfect start to the year 2025 with nine successes in as many matches, before losing this one, notably due to his 41 unforced errors and a slightly too imprecise service: only 60% of successful first serves, six double faults and only one. 30% points gained when she was forced to play a second ball. These approximations offered ten break opportunities to Badosa, who converted four of them.

At 27 years old, the former world No. 2 achieved a performance worthy of the greatest this year in Melbourne (she only lost one set during this fortnight) and affirmed her status as “Comeback of the year 2024” . After a 2023 vintage marred by repeated back injuries, the double quarter-finalist in the Grand Slam (Roland-Garros 2021 and US Open 2024) gave herself one last chance. “A year ago I was there with my injured back and I didn't know if I should continue or completely stop this sport. Today, I'm playing against the best in the world, I won this match, I'm in the semi-finals. I never would have thought this was possible a few months ago,” she declared at a press conference.

(First) objective accomplished for Paula Badosa who will now find her great friend, double title holder and in the race for a third historic success, Aryna Sabalenka. The latter was very scared against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (6/2, 2/6, 6/3) by conceding her first set on the courts of Melbourne Park since her first final won against Elena Rybakina in 2023.I managed to control my emotions. Even when I was frustrated, I focused on the court, in the right direction. I think that was the key to the majority of my matches“, she explained at a press conference. It's obviously something that she will have to apply again in two days, for this semi-final which already promises to be fabulous.