Badosa admits Sabalenka delivered 'PlayStation-level' tennis in Australian Open defeat

As Paula Badosa (26) observed Aryna Sabalenka (26) delivering winners from every direction on Thursday, her hopes in the Australian Open semi-finals were dashed as she succumbed to a formidable opponent showcasing what could be described as 'PlayStation' tennis.

The eleventh seed Badosa made a commendable effort at Melbourne Park, having eliminated one of the tournament's top contenders, Coco Gauff, in the quarter-finals, marking her first appearance in a Grand Slam semi-final.

This achievement came after a challenging season in which she nearly considered leaving the sport due to a persistent back injury.

However, top seed Sabalenka demonstrated her superiority, accumulating 32 winners throughout the match, leaving Badosa struggling to keep pace under the bright lights of Rod Laver Arena.

"With Aryna, it feels like there are winners everywhere," Badosa remarked to reporters following her sixth loss in eight encounters against the Belarusian.

"There are moments when I feel like I'm just wandering around the court, as if she's playing a video game.

"Today was one of those days. At times, I found myself wondering, 'What is happening?' I barely had time to think."

Badosa initially held the advantage for a brief period in the first set, leading 2-0 and reaching 40-love on her serve after the defending champion experienced a shaky start.

Nevertheless, Sabalenka regained her composure and dominated the match, securing her place in the Australian Open final for the third consecutive year.

Off the court, the two are close friends, and during her on-court interview, Sabalenka promised to take Badosa shopping once she had time to process the defeat.

"It's going to be something really expensive because now I think she doubled the prize money," Badosa joked.

"So I believe she won't have any issues with that."

The two were seen sharing light-hearted moments off the court shortly after the match, and Badosa expressed no hard feelings regarding the outcome.

When asked during her post-match press conference what she had conveyed to Sabalenka, Badosa replied with a smile, "I told her it was quite unfair for me that she played at this level today."

I anticipated a commendable performance, though perhaps not to such an extent.

"She approached me to mention that she had reached three semi-finals prior to securing a title.

"She expressed great pride in my recent progress, particularly considering the challenges I have faced."