Australian Open – Semi-final (F) – “I was close to retirement”: Paula Badosa, dangerous survivor

It's a story of rebirth like sport, and tennis in particular, loves it. Only a few months ago, Paula Badosa wore her former best ranking – she was world number 2 in 2022 – as a claim to fame, a relic of the past. Victim of a stress fracture in May 2023 at the level of the L4 and L5 lumbar vertebrae, she had deserted the circuit. And her attempt at a comeback last year long resembled a station of the cross, so much so that we spoke of her more as the companion of Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom she supported from the stands.

However, on Thursday, it is she who will play her first Grand Slam semi-final, while her companion, eliminated in the first round of this Australian Open, continues to dive. And the main interested party savors her unexpected rebound all the more since she saw the costs stopped. “At a certain point last year, I was quite close because I didn't see myself at the level. The back didn't respond well, I couldn't find any solutionsshe revealed at a press conference. But I wanted to give myself one last chance to finish the year and see how it would go. And this is where I am. So I'm really proud of everything we went through with my team and especially the way I fought through it all, especially mentally..”

In the heart of last spring on clay, Badosa no longer saw the end of the tunnel. Tortured by constant inflammation of the lumbar spinal facets, she had already undergone her second cortisone infiltration out of the maximum three she could afford in a year. Beaten from the start in front of her audience in Madrid by her compatriot Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, from qualifying and 93rd in the world, she had hit rock bottom. She then made a radical decision: change a large part of her team (physical trainer, nutritionist, doctor) to rebuild everything.

A winning bet since by modifying the exercises requiring his back and adapting his diet, Badosa was able to string together matches again, reaching the second week at Wimbledon before triumphing in Washington. Her second Grand Slam quarter-final followed at the US Open, three years after the first lost to the wire at Roland Garros against Tamara Zidansek, another era. Ultimately, this new epic in Melbourne is only the logical continuation for a rediscovered player who will make her return to the world Top 10 whatever happens at the end of the Australian Open.

At 27, Badosa is playing her best tennis again, to which she now adds an extra layer of soul. “It's really different because when I was world number 2, everything happened very quicklyshe remembered. Maybe I didn't handle expectations very well at the time. I was very scared when I played a player who was lower ranked than me. I was like, 'What's going to happen if I lose? What are people going to say?' I was thinking about that too much. Now it doesn't matter to me, I can accept it. You can lose or win against anyone. I think it helped me play more freely. I accept my opponent's good moments during a match and try to find solutions. I have gained maturity.”

The Spaniard relishes what she considers a second chance, a kind of blessing. Coco Gauff learned this the hard way in the quarter-final, although she was one of the big favorites of the tournament after her triumph at the Masters a few weeks ago. “It changed me, especially to appreciate moments more. When I win a match like that, I try to soak it all in. I'm moved because it means a lot to me. I learned to place a little more value on these moments. Today (Tuesday, Editor's note), even if the level was very high, even if there was tension, I tried to look at the audience and enjoy the moment, because we train for that. It was magnificent.”

What follows for Badosa is a first Grand Slam semi-final, what's more against Aryna Sabalenka, world number 1 and double title holder in search of an unprecedented hat-trick in the 21st century in Melbourne in women's singles. This shows how immense the challenge will be. Especially since the Belarusian is the Spaniard's best friend on the circuit. But on Thursday, there will be no room for feelings because Badosa intends to take full advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.

“I'll never feel free until I win the tournament. That’s who I am, it’s my personality, my character. With Aryna, we manage it quite normally. Lots of times we text each other before the match, it's quite relaxed. We know very well how to sort things out. We've talked about it so many times. We admire and respect each other. There's going to be a battle on the court of course, but off the court it's super normal“, Badosa insisted again.

Big favorite, Sabalenka, who has won their last five confrontations including three last year, shares this opinion, which does not prevent her from being delighted for her friend. In this upcoming duel, the current boss of the circuit is obviously the one who has the most to lose, because there is nothing more dangerous than facing a survivor on fire in a tournament. But who could better take on this challenge than the world number 1, undefeated for 19 matches in the Antipodes?