Coco Gauff’s pursuit of a second Australian Open semifinal appearance came to an unexpected halt on Tuesday, 21st January. Spain’s Paula Badosa claimed a 7-5, 6-4 victory in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena, knocking out the third-ranked Gauff and securing her spot in the semifinals of the first Grand Slam of the year.
This win marks a significant milestone for Badosa, as the win over Gauff is her first-ever victory over a top-10 opponent in a Grand Slam, propelling her to No. 9 in the world rankings. Badosa will now face either the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals on Friday.
Coco Gauff’s early exit after strong run
For Gauff, the 20-year-old American star, this result comes as a disappointing end to her impressive run at Melbourne Park. Having reached the semifinals in 2024, where she finished as a semifinalist for the second time in a Grand Slam that year, Gauff entered the 2025 Australian Open as one of the tournament’s top contenders.
Despite her powerful form, which included a comeback victory against Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, Gauff struggled to maintain her momentum in the quarterfinals. After overcoming a first-set loss to Bencic, Gauff had hoped to carry the energy into her next match, but it was Badosa who dominated in Tuesday’s encounter.
Paula Badosa’s resilient performance
Although Gauff initially took the lead in the first set, Badosa kept pressing and capitalized on a series of unforced errors by the American. The turning point of the match came when Gauff hit two consecutive errors in the 10th game that allowed Badosa to take a 5-4 lead before clinching the set with a powerful forehand winner. It was also the fourth consecutive time Badosa won the first set against Gauff.
Badosa’s confidence carried over into the second set, where she raced to a 5-2 lead. Gauff, who had struggled with unforced errors 41 in total, including six double faults couldn’t recover in time. Although Gauff rallied with two straight games, Badosa ultimately served out the match to secure her place in the semifinals.
Badosa, who has battled back from a potentially career-ending back injury, is now enjoying the best Grand Slam run of her career. She had previously reached the US Open quarterfinals last fall and exited early at the 2024 Australian Open, but her current form has set the stage for an exciting semifinal appearance.
For Gauff, though she’s had a stellar start to 2025, her hopes of capturing a second Grand Slam title will have to be postponed for now.