Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S Paula Badosa has made it to a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time after a shock quarter-final win over third-seeded Coco Gauff in the Australian Open.
The 27-year-old, who learned her tennis as a youngster in Barcelona, won in straight sets on Tuesday in Melbourne, 7-5, 6.4.
Badosa’s next opponent will be the world number one and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka.
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The Spaniard, who took an hour and 44 minutes to close her victory over Gauff revealed afterwards that her target has always been to a win one of tennis’ majors.
Paula Badosa said: “I’ve never hidden my aim, but my dream has always been to win a Grand Slam.”
“I’m not going to feel free until the tournament is over. That’s my personality and my character, because I want to win very much. In the final rounds my level goes up, I want to be 100%,” she added.
She was also pleased that she gained revenge after losing to Gauff at a recent tournament in Beijing.
“I had a lot in mind about the last match I played with her, in which I was a set and break up but I lost.”
“ Today it was also the same. That day it was very difficult for me to handle it because I didn’t go for the game, I speculated too much. Today, at 5-4, I thought I had another opportunity to show that you have to go for it,” Badosa recalled.
Badosa was named the WTA’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2024 after recovering from a stress fracture in her spine that saw her miss two of the four majors in 2023.
She won her first title in over two years at August’s Washington Open before reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open a month later.
“A year ago I was here with my back and I didn’t know if I had to retire from this sport,” 11th seed Badosa said.
“Now I’m here playing against the best in the world. I won today, I’m in the semi-finals.
