Badosa will face her friend Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the Australian Open

As the enthusiastic crowd at Rod Laver Arena watched, Paula Badosa fell to her knees.

She lay on the floor for a moment, leaning forward with her arms outstretched. She had just beaten Coco Gauff, the No. 3 seed and clear match favorite, in a decisive 7-5, 6-4 victory and had advanced to the first major semi-final of her career.

The moment meant everything.

While it seemed like an inevitability for Badosa earlier in her career, this breakthrough came after a debilitating back injury left her future in the sport in doubt. When Badosa took part in this tournament 12 months ago, she wasn’t sure how long she could continue playing because she couldn’t control the pain.

“(But) now I’m playing here against the best in the world,” Badosa said. “I won today, (now) I’m in the semifinals. I never thought I would be here a year (later).”

And on Thursday, Badosa, the former world No. 2, has a chance to reach her first Slam final in the semifinals against two-time defending champion – and one of her closest friends – Aryna Sabalenka. It’s a daunting task, but one that Badosa is ready for.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Badosa said Tuesday. “I was one of the best players in the world in the past, but I think I’m a better and more mature player now. I think I can handle the emotions a little better… For me, this is a dream come true.” TRUE.”

Few who have watched Badosa’s rise through the junior ranks would be surprised by her current run in Melbourne. Born in New York but raised in Spain, Badosa won the French Open girls title in 2015 and her talent was evident from a young age.

After spending some time mainly on the ITF tour after turning pro, Badosa, now 27, made her main draw debut at the Australian Open in 2019 and cracked the top 100 for the first time later that season to reach. In 2021 she reached her first major quarterfinal at the French Open and won what is still the biggest title of her career in the 1000 meter race in Indian Wells. Her ranking skyrocketed, reaching number 2 in April 2022 – making her one of the most famous players on tour.

But things took a dramatic turn in 2023 when she suffered a stress fracture in her back. She played sparingly during the season and ultimately had her season cut short after forfeiting during her second-round match at Wimbledon, her only Slam appearance of the year.

“Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy competing and how difficult it was to make this decision,” she wrote on Instagram after withdrawing from the US Open in August of that year. “We tried everything together with my team, but the pain doesn’t let me move forward.”

Badosa returned in time for the start of the 2024 season but admitted it was a “process to return” when speaking to reporters at the Australian Open. She reached the third round. But the pain didn’t subside. In an interview on the WTA Insider Podcast, Badosa said that during a consultation in March after she withdrew from Indian Wells, her doctors said it would be “very complicated to continue her career.” But in a last-ditch effort, they began taking cortisone shots — which her medical team called the “only option” — and the shots allowed her to continue playing.

But even though the pain was somewhat controlled, the results she had become accustomed to simply weren’t occurring. She also knew she could only get three cortisone injections all year – she had received her second in April – and after a challenging clay court season, she doubted her future in the sport.

“There was a point last year where I was close to retiring because I didn’t see myself at the same level,” Badosa told reporters after defeating Gauff on Tuesday. “The back didn’t react well and I couldn’t find any solutions. But I wanted to try again, one last chance to finish the year and see how it would go.”

“And now, here I am. I’m really proud of what we went through with my whole team and especially how I got through it all, especially mentally.”

Badosa made some changes after losing in the first round in Madrid in April, which left her out of the top 100. Believing that everything she was doing had to do with her back, she hired a new fitness trainer and a new nutritionist. They gave her exercises to strengthen her back, as well as various supplements and foods that could reduce inflammation. She began consulting with new doctors. She saw improvements and “the puzzle started to look better.” She got her last cortisone shot in the spring and hasn’t needed one since.

At first, she had to fight the lingering fear that she would wake up one morning and the pain would return. But she persevered. Badosa reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in July and then won the title at the Washington Open in July – her first in over two and a half years. There was a semi-final appearance in Cincinnati and then a quarter-final appearance at the US Open, which marked her best result at the major to date.

Badosa finished the season ranked No. 12 and was named the 2024 WTA Comeback Player of the Year in December. It was something she had wanted all year and it gave her confidence going into the new season.

“Do I feel like I’m back where I belong?” Yes, of course,” Badosa said on Tuesday. “I mean, since I came back here in Australia last year, my goal that I set here last January was that I wanted to be the comeback player of the year. I have achieved that. And when I started this year I also said I wanted it. To be one of the best players in the world and to prove that, to show that and to be consistent. That is my goal for this year.

Badosa didn’t know whether she would face Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova when she spoke to reporters after her win over Gauff. Nevertheless, she answered many questions about Sabalenka, the current world number 1. The two, who frequently post about their friendship on social media, have been among each other’s biggest supporters in recent years.

When Sabalenka’s former partner Konstantin Koltsov died from complications of suicide just days before the start of the Miami Open in March, it was Badosa who became Sabalenka’s unofficial spokesman and spoke to the media when Sabalenka declined. As the two prepared to face each other in the round of 16, Badosa gave an insight into Sabalenka’s performance. Sabalenka won the match and Badosa was full of praise for her friend afterwards. “She is a very, very strong woman, a strong personality,” Badosa said.

When Badosa was forced to retire in the third set after a close match against Sabalenka in Stuttgart in April, she cried as they hugged and Sabalenka tried to comfort her.

“I love Paula very much,” Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference. “We have been friends for three or four years. She is an incredible person. It is very important to have friends at the racetrack. So when you find someone who you believe is your soulmate, it’s the best thing that can happen to you.”

The friends – known collectively as “Sabadosa” by tennis fans – have played once since, with Sabalenka claiming a 7-5, 6-1 victory in the third round of the French Open to maintain a 5-2 career series lead Head to head.

On Thursday they have to give up their mutual admiration for another day. Badosa was excited about the opportunity after her win on Tuesday, calling it a “normal” experience at the time. Badosa said they usually message each other before games but expect a “fight.”

However, Sabalenka couldn’t hide her enthusiasm for Badosa.

“She’s a great player, she’s been through a lot and now she’s back to her best,” Sabalenka said after her three-set win over Pavlyuchenkova. “I’m really happy about that. And yes, I saw their games here. She plays really great tennis.”

No matter what happens in the semi-final showdown, Badosa will leave Melbourne having returned to the top 10 for the first time since 2022. Despite all her health problems, she has repeatedly said that she is now trying to appreciate everything more and “take it all in.” .” Against Gauff, she said she tried to enjoy everything about the game, the crowd and the aftermath. Having spent so much time away from competition, she is grateful for that.

But make no mistake: Badosa still wants to win and knows what she’s capable of.

“I will never feel freedom until I win the tournament,” she said. “I’m always like that and it’s my personality, it’s my character. Today (against Gauff) I obviously had a little less expectations, but I still had pressure because I wanted to win so badly.”

“I will take the pitch in the semi-final, I don’t care who it is against and I will definitely want to win. It’s (just) a part of me.”