Sabalenka and Badosa Show Friendship and Respect After Australian Open Semi-Final

Paula Badosa was left in awe of Aryna Sabalenka's performance in their Australian Open semi-final, describing it as 'PlayStation' tennis.

Paula Badosa's Australian Open run came to an end on Thursday, as she was defeated by top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals. Badosa, the 11th seed, had staged a brave run at Melbourne Park, knocking out one of the tournament's favorites Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals. However, Sabalenka proved to be at another level, leaving Badosa chasing shadows under the lights at Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka's dominant performance, which included 32 winners, left Badosa in awe. “With Aryna, it's more like winners everywhere,” Badosa told reporters after racking up her sixth defeat in eight matches against the Belarusian. “Sometimes you're like, I don't know, I'm just walking around the court because I feel like she's playing a PlayStation.” Badosa's comment highlighted the gulf in class between the two players, with Sabalenka's powerful hitting and precise shot-making proving too much for the Spaniard to handle.

Badosa struggled to cope with Sabalenka's relentless pressure, admitting that she often felt overwhelmed by the Belarusian's pace and power. “Today she was like that. So sometimes I'm like, 'What's happening?' I don't have time even to think,” Badosa said, shaking her head in admiration of Sabalenka's performance. Despite the defeat, Badosa's run to the semi-finals marked a significant milestone in her career, particularly given her struggles with a chronic back injury last season.

Paula Badosa had a brief moment of dominance against Aryna Sabalenka in the first set, leading 2-0 and being 40-love on serve after the defending champion was broken in a messy start. However, Sabalenka quickly regained her composure and ran away with the match, booking her third successive Australian Open final. Despite the loss, Badosa was in good spirits, and the pair's friendly relationship was on full display during Sabalenka's on-court interview, where she promised to take Badosa shopping once the Spaniard had processed the defeat.

Badosa joked about the shopping trip, saying “It's going to be something really expensive because now I think she doubled the prize money. So I think she won't have a problem for that.” The pair's lighthearted exchange was captured on camera, and Badosa confirmed that there were no hard feelings between them. When asked at her post-match press conference what she had said to Sabalenka, Badosa replied with a smile, “That it was really unfair for me that she played this level today. I was expecting, of course, a good level, but maybe not that much.”

Sabalenka was gracious in victory, offering words of encouragement to Badosa. According to Badosa, Sabalenka told her that she had played three semi-finals before winning a title, and expressed pride in Badosa's recent improvement, particularly given her struggles with injury. Badosa appreciated the kind words, and the pair's friendly exchange was a testament to the strong bonds of friendship and respect that exist between them.