The 2025 Australian Open thrilled fans with action-packed matches, however, it also tested players’ mental and physical limits, with Spanish Star, Paula Badosa being among those who bore the brunt. The tournament came to an end with Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, taking home the Men’s singles trophy again and the underdog, Madison Keys winning her maiden Grand Slam title on the women’s side. The tournament had its fair share of grim moments as well, none bigger than Novak Djokovic withdrawing mid-match in the semi-final against Alexander Zverev owing to a muscle tear. Aryna Sabalenka missing out on a third consecutive Australian Open title was another highlight of the tournament. The campaign overall was overwhelming and the players now need a breather!

Paula Badosa, 2024’s Comeback Player of the Year, entered the 2025 Australian Open as the 11th seed with high hopes, after overcoming a career-threatening back injury from 2023. In the QF in Melbourne, Badosa took on the World No. 3 Coco Gauff for the seventh time. Gauff played aggressively in the first set and racked up winners, however, Badosa capitalized on the American’s 41 unforced errors and shaky second serve, securing a 7-5, 6-4 win in 1 hour and 43 minutes match. With this victory, the Spaniard marked her first-ever win against a Top 10 player at a Grand Slam, as she made her way to the semifinals.

Badosa’s winning streak was eventually ended by the formidable Aryna Sabalenka, her best friend. Sabalenka defeated Badosa 6-4, 6-2, and advanced to her third consecutive Australian Open final. After the intense competition, the 27-year-old Paula Badosa is now back home in Dubai and is taking time off to unwind. In a post on Instagram, she can seen relaxing by the pool with her friends as she captions the post, “Recharging.”

Paula Badosa isn’t the only player who is finding enjoyment off-court after a grueling campaign in Melbourne. Coco Gauff posted snippets from her Australian Open matches with the caption, “Back to work,” as she was seen enjoying a self-made steak dinner. Aryna Sabalenka, who lost to Madison Keys in the finals, thanked fans for their support and promised to “come back stronger,” on her Instagram story. She was also seen posing with Jackie Chan and her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis.

Coming back to Badosa, she might have bowed out in the semis, but her journey last couple of years has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Paula Badosa’s Remarkable Comeback: From Injury Struggles to 2025 Australian Open Semifinal

Paula Badosa’s pursuit for the 2025 Australian Open title was crushed in the semifinals, but the Spaniard wasn’t shattered. Badosa has faced physical challenges throughout her professional journey that almost led her to retire from tennis. In May 2023, she suffered a stress fracture in her back – her L4/L5 vertebrae. 

After struggling for two years with that back injury, Badosa was on the verge of retirement as her future in tennis looked bleak. The Spaniard, who was the World No. 2 in 2022, was unable to conquer tournaments and struggled outside the top 100. In 2023, her last match of the season was at Wimbledon, where she did not get past the round of 64. She had to end her season due to persistent injury issues. Last year, she withdrew from the Indian Wells Open after relying on cortisone injections to manage the pain during matches. 

However, she trained relentlessly in a bid to come back and her determination paid off in 2024, as she earned the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award, bouncing back from No. 66 at the end of 2023 to No. 12 by the start of 2025.

After her quarterfinal win against Coco Gauff in the AO, Badosa said, “It’s positive. I mean, I wasn’t expecting maybe improving or going so fast,” she said. “I didn’t check, but seeing the results of everyone, now I know I’m top 10, but I think the last months maybe it’s top five of the players that have won most matches. So, for me that’s insane, and it’s an insane improvement, an insane improvement mentally, of believing, of coming back from that.”

Continuing further, she added, “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.”

Paula Badosa’s comeback story is inspiring and the World No. 12 is a formidable force to look out for in the remaining season.