Coco Gauff’s aspirations for a maiden Australian Open title came to an end on Tuesday as Spain’s Paula Badosa delivered a stunning straight-sets victory in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-4.

Badosa’s clinical performance exposed Gauff’s struggles, particularly with unforced errors and inconsistent serving, marking her third consecutive Slam exit before the semifinals.

Badosa’s Dominant Display

Badosa, seeded 11th, capitalized on Gauff’s errors and served with precision throughout the match.

It was a huge win for the Spaniard, who registered her first career win over a top-10 opponent at a major.

“Do I feel as if I’m back where I belong? Yeah, of course,” Badosa said post-match.

“Since I came back last year here in Australia, my goal, I said it here last January, I wanted to be the comeback of the year. I achieved that.”

“When I started this year, I also said I want to be one of the best players in the world and prove that, show that, and be consistent. That’s my goal for this year also.”

Badosa was composed during key moments of the match, particularly in the second set’s pivotal 13-minute, eight-deuce game, where she broke Gauff’s serve and maintained her momentum until the end.

She now advances to her first Grand Slam semifinal, where she will face either Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Thursday.

Gauff’s Self-Inflicted Struggles

Gauff, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, was plagued by 41 unforced errors, 28 of which came on her forehand—a tournament high for the American.

Her serving woes were equally costly, with 35 double faults across her Australian Open campaign, including a dismal 56% first-serve percentage in the second set against Badosa.

“I feel like I was making a lot [of errors], especially in the net,” Gauff admitted.

“I think the timing was a little bit off. I felt like I was setting up a lot of the points well, but just the last ball… there were a lot of errors on that [forehand] side.”

Despite her disappointment, Gauff remained composed in her post-match press conference.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but not completely crushed. I’m proud of myself, and that’s all I can say.”

“I promise that I’m going to continue to try my best to improve and live up to my own expectations of myself and whatever everybody else has … I can’t control that.”

Focus on Mental Growth

Gauff spoke on her ongoing journey to manage external expectations and stay focused on her internal goals.

“Most of the internet coaches never coached anyone at my level or never played. It’s easier to comment on the outside… At the end of the day, I’m the one out there, and I’m the one who makes the decision.”

“I’m going to go home and take a break. I’ve been playing a lot of tennis basically since the end of last year. So, yeah, take like a week off or something like that and then get back to work and get better.”

Badosa’s Remarkable Comeback

Badosa’s resurgence in 2025 follows a difficult period plagued by a back injury that sidelined her for much of 2023 and 2024, causing her ranking to plummet outside the top 100.

Now, the former world No. 2 appears stronger than ever. Her victory over Gauff marks a continuation of her dominant form throughout the tournament, having only been pushed to three sets once, against Marta Kostyuk in the third round.

With the chance to become the first Spanish woman to reach a Slam final since Garbiñe Muguruza in 2020, Badosa remains focused on maintaining her consistency.

“I want to prove that I’m one of the best players in the world and show that,” she said.

The Road Ahead

As the women’s draw narrows, Badosa’s semifinal clash will be a key test of her ability to translate her strong performances into a historic Grand Slam breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Gauff will regroup and aim to address the issues that have hindered her progress in recent majors.

For both players, the journey in 2025 is just beginning.