Australian Open: Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa but Remains Optimistic

Coco Gauff exits the Australian Open quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Paula Badosa, but remains upbeat about her progress, saying she's 'in an upward trajectory'.

Coco Gauff, the world number three, expressed her optimism despite suffering a shocking defeat to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday. Gauff's remarkable start to the year came to an abrupt end, but she remained upbeat, stating, “I'm disappointed but not completely crushed.”

Gauff's dreams of securing her first Melbourne Park title were dashed when she lost 7-5, 6-4 to Spain's 11th seed Paula Badosa on Rod Laver Arena. Badosa ended Gauff's impressive nine-match winning streak to start 2025, dominating the match after securing a tightly contested first set.

Despite the setback, Gauff reflected on her growth and maturity, gained from competing in her ninth Grand Slam quarter-final. She acknowledged that she would not dwell on the loss, unlike earlier in her career. Gauff said, “The way I played, even though it wasn't my best, I gave it my all on the court, so that's something to be proud of.” As the 2023 US Open champion, Gauff's positive attitude and resilience will likely serve her well in future tournaments.

Coco Gauff reflected on her mindset after the loss, stating, “Some matches are going to go my way, some are not. Maybe a couple of years ago I would feel a lot more crushed and feel like the world is ending type sadness. But now I think it's just disappointment that I could have done a little bit better in some areas.”

Gauff drew a contrast between her current feelings and those after her last Slam defeat, a fourth-round three-setter to Emma Navarro in New York last year. She noted, “I feel like at the US Open I was playing with no solution, so I think that was more the frustrating part.” Gauff acknowledged that her performance on Tuesday, which included six double-faults and 41 unforced errors, was not ideal.

First Grand Slam semifinal, first win against a Top 10 opponent in a Grand Slam - Paula Badosa, this was a lesson in class and conviction 👏👏@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • @paulabadosa • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/O14jgI05KT

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2025

Despite the loss, Gauff expressed optimism about her progress, saying, “Today I feel like I'm playing with solutions. I know what I need to work on. Even though I lost today, I feel like I'm in an upward trajectory.” She acknowledged the disappointment of losing after playing great tennis for most of the year but remained pragmatic. Gauff concluded, “Obviously it does feel bad when you feel like you're playing great tennis for the better part of this year to lose, but it is what it is. We'll get back to work.”