By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, January 20, 2025
Paula Badosa exploited 41 errors from Coco Gauff toppling the third seed 7-5, 6-4 to reach her maiden major semifinal at the Australian Open.
Photo credit: Hannah Peters/Getty
Grand Slam quarterfinals were once major stumbling blocks for Paula Badosa.
Today, Badosa made the most of her second shot to soar into her maiden major semifinal.
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Serving for the match a second time, Badosa toppled third-seeded Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4 then dropped to her knees in joy advancing to the Australian Open final four.
The 27-year-old Badosa is the first Spanish woman to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza made the 2020 AO final falling to Sofia Kenin.
“I’m a bit emotional,” Badosa told Alicia Molik in her on-court interview. “As you know I’m a very emotional person.
“Overcoming like this the last Slam quarterfinals were very tough. Today I came in and I wanted to play my best game. I think I did it.
“Coco was playing insane tennis at the beginning, but I’m super proud of the level I gave today.”
WTA Finals champion Gauff carried a 9-0 record in 2025 onto the court. The red-hot Gauff had won 22 of her last 24 matches, but none of that mattered much to Badosa, who handed the American her first loss of the year.

Hitting her two-handed backhand down the line to the American’s forehand, Badosa repeatedly challenged Gauff’s sometimes flaky forehand wing with pace, depth and consistency. Badosa backed her second serve with more command winning 63 percent of seconds erve points compared to 35 percent for Gauff.
The 20-year-old Gauff and coach Matt Daly spent a lot of time strengthening Gauff’s weaker forehand wing in the offseason, but today the forehand wing completely collapsed when she needed it most.
The normally consistent Gauff nearly doubled Badosa’s error output—41 to 23—wasn’t always stepping into her forehand and framed several forehands. Gauff committed 28 of her 41 errors off the forehand and was sometimes slicing or drop-shotting off her forehand showing a lack of confidence in that wing.
Afterward, Gauff said her contact point was off.
"I feel like I was making a lot, especially in the net," Gauff said. "Yeah, I think it was a little bit the timing was a little bit off. I think I was hitting some balls too far in front almost, maybe playing a little bit too far back."
A year ago, the 100th-ranked Badosa was pained by a bad back that left her wondering if she’d ever be completely fit.
When Badosa fired a final forehand winner to end the match today she dropped to her knees in gratitude of this career breakthrough.
“Of course I have been through a lot in the past,” Badosa said. “I was one of the best players in the world.
“But now I think I’m a better player, more mature and I think I manage the emotions a little better—not always, but sometimes—it was great to play in front of you guys the atmosphere was amazing. For me, this is a dream come true.”
The dream continues.
The 2021 Indian Wells champion Badosa will play either her buddy, world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, or former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a spot in Saturday’s final.
“A year ago I was here with my back,” Badosa said. “I didn’t know if I had to retire from this sport. Now, I’m here playing against the best in the world.
“I won today. Now I’m playing in the semifinals. I would never think a year ago I’d be here.”
The 2024 AO semifinalist Gauff was right where she wanted to be—on the verge of a final four return—but Badosa drew first-break blood in both sets.
The Spaniard painted the baseline with a backhand for double-break point in the third game. Gauff fended off both break points, landed some stinging serves and worked through a six-minute hold for 2-1.
The third seed stamped her first love hold for a 4-3 lead after 29 minutes.
Former world No. 2 Badosa was scalding her second serve with vigor. Badosa held her ground near the baseline and held to even after eight games.
Deadlocked at 5-all, Badosa made her move on the Gauff serve slamming a forehand winner down the line to start the 11th game.
Attacking during a 14-shot rally, Badosa made a slick scoop on a half-volley then flicked a full-stretch backhand drop volley winner for break point. Challenging the Gauff forehand, Badosa blistered a clean forehand winner crosscourt scoring the first break for 6-5 after 46 minutes of play.
Jerking another wild wide forehand, Gauff’s 15th unforced error put Badosa up 30-15. After missing her trusty two-hander off a second serve return, Gauff stared up at the sky and yelled giving Badosa a set point.
Credit Badosa for serving out the opening set while squinting into the sun. Badosa blasted a deep forehand to wrap the 50-minute opener.
Whipping her backhand down the line, Badosa repeatedly challenged the WTA Finals champion’s forehand. Gauff committed 12 of her 16 unforced errors from the forehand side in the opening set, while Badosa won 61 percent of her second-serve points in that set.
A frustrated Gauff was dropping her racquet on the court after netting misses in the opening game of the second set. Gauff saved four break points before Badosa challenged her again with a backhand down the line coaxing a netted forehand for a fifth break point as the game waged on near the 18-minute mark.
Showing signs of jitters, Gauff ballooned a forehand long to surrender the break on her 20th forehand error.
A confident Badosa was bleeding errors from Gauff confirming the break for a one-set, 2-0 lead.
Elevating the height of her shots and stepping closer to the baseline, Gauff was asserting her offense more as she broke back for 2-all.
Holding a 40-15 lead, Gauff lost the range on the forehand again. In a sloppy stretch, Gauff double faulted, netted a mid-court forehand then tried a timid forehand drop shot that sat up. Badosa swooped in and pounded down a smash scoring her third break for a 3-2 lead.
Credit AO quarterfinal debutant Badosa for continuing to fire away and make the 2023 US Open champion feel the pressure. Gauff tripped her sixth double fault off the top of the tape ceding a fourth break and 5-2 lead to the Spaniard.
The world No. 12 served for the match from the sunny side of the court, but Gauff refused to yield playing one of her best games of the set to break back for 3-5. Gauff slid a serve down the T holding for 4-5 and shifting pressure back on Badosa’s shoulders.
Serving for the set again from the shady side of the court, Badosa banged two aces for double match point.
One final forehand winner crosscourt from Badosa ended a quality one hour, 43 minutes.