Paula Badosa gets emotional after stunning Coco Gauff in Australian Open upset

Paula Badosa, displaying deep emotion, eliminated world number three Coco Gauff from contention for her inaugural Australian Open title with a surprising victory of 7-5, 6-4 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

This match marked Badosa's first appearance in a Grand Slam semi-final, making her the first Spanish woman to achieve this feat since Garbine Muguruza in Melbourne 2020.

"I am feeling quite emotional," Badosa remarked, as she prepares to face either two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a spot in the final.

"I am inherently an emotional person. My goal was to deliver my best performance, and I believe I accomplished that."

"I take great pride in the level of play I exhibited today."

This victory signifies a remarkable resurgence for the 11th seed, who was ranked outside the top 100 just a year ago due to a stress fracture in her back.

"Just a year ago, I was uncertain about my future in this sport due to my back issues, and now I find myself competing against the best in the world," Badosa reflected. "I won today and have reached the semi-finals. I could never have imagined being here a year later."

Gauff, the third seed, had maintained an unbeaten streak in nine matches this season but faced her first set loss of 2025 before overcoming Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic in the previous round.

Badosa started the match with aggression, putting Gauff's serve under pressure early in the first set.

At 5-5 and 30-40, Badosa seized her third break-point opportunity, allowing her to serve out the first set in 56 minutes.

Gauff, unusually, did not create any break points in the first set and struggled with unforced errors.

Badosa continued her relentless approach at the beginning of the second set, engaging in a marathon first game that lasted 14 minutes and featured eight deuces.

Although Gauff saved four break points, she ultimately succumbed to a fifth, resulting in another service loss.

A powerful running forehand winner and a backhand at the net energized Gauff, enabling her to break back and level the score at 2-2.

Badosa achieved two additional breaks and clinched the match in 1 hour and 43 minutes, collapsing onto the court in celebration as she recorded her first victory against a top-10 opponent at a Grand Slam after four attempts.