Coco Gauff‘s hot streak is over! The 13-match winning streak came to an end today in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Paula Badosa, playing like a true champion, took her down 7-5, 6-4. Honestly, it wasn’t a total shock. The 2024 WTA Comeback Player has been playing amazing tennis lately. This is her first Australian Open semifinal. After the match, both players were super classy on social media, showing a lot of respect for each other.

Gauff entered the match at Rod Laver Arena with a flawless 9-0 record in 2025 and a 13-match winning streak that began at the WTA Finals in November. The 20-year-old had dropped just one set en route to the AO quarter-finals, but her unforced errors plagued her game against Badosa. Gauff recorded 41 unforced errors, including six double faults. One of these double faults handed Badosa a crucial break to go up 5-2 in the second set. The 28 missed forehands also proved decisive.

After the match, Badosa shared heartfelt emotions for Badosa on the Instagram story, captioning, “It’s always a pleasure to share the court with you. I really admire you and you are a true champion! For many more battles @cocogauff ❤️.” Gauff reposted the message with her own kind words, replying, “Thank you ❤️ you’re a great competitor and even better person, good luck the rest of the way 🙏🏾”

This victory over Gauff marks a significant milestone for Badosa, her first over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam, boosting her ranking to No. 9 in the world. All four of Badosa’s career wins against Gauff have come in straight sets. Having lost to Gauff twice last season from a set ahead- on clay in Rome and in the fall in Beijing which tournament Gauff went on to win- Badosa didn’t want to face the loss again and made it possible to not let it happen for the third straight time.

The 27-year-old Badosa, came back following a career-threatening back injury last year and was 0-2 in her career in major quarterfinals before she handed Gauff her first loss of 2025 in 1 hour 45 minutes inside Rod Laver Arena.

Badosa surely seemed visibly emotional after her victory and shared how much the moment meant to her. “Today I came in, and I wanted to play my best game, and I think I did it,” Badosa said post-match. “Coco, at the beginning, she was playing insane tennis, but I’m super proud of the level I gave today. A year ago, I was here with my back [injury] that I didn’t know if I had to retire from this sport, and now I’m here, playing the best in the world. I won today, I’m in the semifinals, and I never would think that a year later, I would be here,” she expressed.

Now, Gauff will build momentum for the rest of the season after exiting from the Australian Open. How?

Coco Gauff thinks there is “a lot more work to do” after Australian Open QF loss

Reflecting on her match performance in the post-match press conference, Gauff praised Badosa’s play but also noted how critical moments in the match shaped the outcome. “Paula [Badosa] was playing great. Maybe some moments in the first set could have gone my way, could have been a different outcome in the first set, but yeah, I think there’s just a lot more work to do,” Gauff admitted.

While the loss was disappointing, Gauff remains optimistic about her future. “I’m obviously disappointed. But I’m not completely crushed. I’m looking forward to a lot,” she added, keeping her focus on upcoming tournaments.

Gauff also acknowledged the fine margins in the match, saying, “I feel like it’s just who can do better in those key moments., and today, she did better in those key moments.” Gauff expressed a sense of progress, particularly compared to her earlier exit, as the U.S. Open. “Even though I lost today, I definitely feel like I’m on an upward trajectory,” she said. Even with Tuesday’s loss, Gauff has won 22 of her last 25 matches.

Despite the setback, Coco Gauff is taking the long view. She plans to rest before preparing for the Hologic WTA Tour’s swing through the Middle East in early February, with back-to-back WTA 1000s at the Qatar Total Open and Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships. She will look to improve on last year’s R32 exit from Qatar Open. With a packed season ahead, Gauff is poised to turn this early disappointment into a stepping stone for future success.