Paula Badosa has made herself at home in Melbourne. The 27-year-old had a close-call victory against China’s Xinyu Wang b 6-3, 7-6(5) It was a particularly significant victory for the 27-year-old Spaniard. Why? Well, despite clinching a title at Washington DC, she faced a tumultuous previous season marked by injury struggles, including a stress fracture in her lower back that sidelined her for the first half of 2024. However, this year, she returned to the 2025 Australian Open feeling both nervous and comforted by the familiar surroundings. How’s that possible?

In the post-match interview after her first-round victory, Paula was asked a lighthearted question about her plans to kick back and relax. Knowing the player’s love for exploring cities and sharing them on her social media, one would naturally expect her to be elated to be able to do so after this win before her next match rolls in two days later. However, having played at Rod Laver Arena a few times before, of course, the player knows a little about Melbourne by now. So the question posed to her in the post-match interview was “What do you like to do around town?”

She said, “Look, I have to say, this is one of my favorite cities. It reminds me a little bit of my hometown, Barcelona. Amazing restaurants. I always enjoyed, I have very good memories from Melbourne.” While the architecture may differ from her vibrant Spanish hometown, Badosa finds comfort in Melbourne’s lively atmosphere. The city’s vibrant culture and energy resonate with her, creating a sense of familiarity. But is that enough to build fond memories? While her personal experiences are crucial, her career has seen some vital moments in this city as well.

“Years, years ago, it was my first qualifier here, so I passed it here, so that will always be in my memory. So it’s really nice to be here in Australia,” she added. If you didn’t know, Badosa’s first qualifier at the Australian Open occured in 2019, where she made it to the first round against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell. While she couldn’t take down the pro then, this experience clearly marked a significant milestone in her career.

And it’s only been up since then for Paula. While she currently sits at No.12 in the WTA rankings, she reached a career-high of No.2 in the world previously and has won a total of four titles. Going ahead, she’s optimistic about her season this year, especially alongside her boyfriend, ATP’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The tennis power couple is here to kick off the 2025 season with “teamwork”

Fans are well aware of the love that Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas share. During their preseason, the couple enjoyed a relaxing vacation together in Iceland, showcasing their bond. They actively share their adventures across various cities, but how do they manage to stay connected while touring? Typically, once one of them finishes a tournament, they fly to support each other and spend quality time together. Despite some rocky moments, including a brief split in May 2024, they have come back stronger than ever.

In their nearly two-year relationship, fans have affectionately dubbed them ‘Tsitsidosa.’ Recently, the pair was in the United Arab Emirates for the World Tennis League before heading to Australia for the upcoming season. Badosa shared a sweet selfie on Instagram with Tsitsipas, captioning it, “Australia here we come @stefanostsitsipas98 bring it on 2025. Teamwork.”

Kicking off their respective seasons in Australia, Badosa reached the quarterfinals in doubles at the Brisbane International alongside Ons Jabeur, while Tsitsipas represented Greece at the United Cup. Team Greek, however, didn’t advance past the group stage.

Talking about Tsitsipas’ campaign in the Australian Open, he is set to face Alex Michelsen in the first round on Monday. Will the Greek make a deep run in the tournament this year? Only time will tell!