Paula Badosa Reaches 1st Career Grand Slam Semi-Final after Defeating Coco Gauff in 2025 AO

On Tuesday, Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa, 11th seed, reached her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open. 

She reached this milestone by upsetting the world's No.3 Coco Gauff with a dominant 7-5, 6-4 victory. 

Last year, Badosa suffered from several injuries which impacted her career. 

10 months ago her career was under threat after a series of injuries, including a debilitating stress fracture in her back.

She missed out on all Grand Slam events in 2023. 

Badosa said after her victory: "I'm a bit emotional," adding: "The last slam, the quarter-finals were very tough for me. Today, I came in and wanted to play my best tennis, and I did it."

Badosa also expressed several reflections on last year, expressing: "A year ago, I was here with my back, not knowing if I was going to retire. Now I'm here, playing against the best in the world. I never thought I'd be in the semifinals a year later."

On her side, Gauff said: "I think it's one of those things that maybe a couple of years ago I would feel a lot more crushed," adding: "Now, I think it's just disappointment that I could have done better in some areas."