AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2025

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/P. Badosa

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Paula, first of all, congratulations on a terrific run here. What are some of your reflections on the match tonight?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, I don't think I have much to say. Also, the level of Aryna today, she played like a No. 1. I couldn't do much more today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. As an extension of that, as we try to understand what it is like to play Aryna what she's playing like that, you started well on the scoreboard 2-Love, 40-Love. How well did you think you were playing in that first set?

PAULA BADOSA: I was playing good. I mean, the first set was really tight, a good level. Then in the second set she started to be very, very aggressive. Everything was working. Everything she was doing today, touching today, could become gold.

I have nothing to say. I mean, of course credits to her, congratulations to her. She played the best match not even of the week. From the last months, for sure.

If she plays like this, I mean, we can already give her the trophy.

Q. When you say she played like a No. 1, what is to you playing like a No. 1? What are the things that separates them?

PAULA BADOSA: When you're aggressive. When you go for the lines. When you change directions. When a ball is coming strong to you, but you're able to change directions very easily. You're fast. You're serving well.

You do everything well. That's how a No. 1 plays. She did it today.

Q. We saw some video of you sitting down in the gym or the locker room, and then Aryna coming over, and you having a chat. What did you say to each other?

PAULA BADOSA: That it was really unfair for me that she played this level today (smiling). I was expecting, of course, a good level, but maybe not that much.

But no, she came, like, to say that she played three semifinals before she won a title. She was very proud of my improvement lately, especially with all I've been through.

So, yeah, we were just joking around. I'm really happy that, look, if I have to lose against somebody, of course I want to lose against world No. 1 and against Aryna, and I wish her the best.

Q. Obviously you've played both Iga and Aryna multiple times. What makes them different, and what makes them similar to face?

PAULA BADOSA: Similar, that you have to bring your best out of when you play against them all the time. They're, like, bringing you to the limits. You have to maybe take more risks against them. That's what I found when I played against both of them.

But I think maybe the difference, what make them different, is that with Iga, when I played against her, I felt she destroyed me physically. She's, like, so intense all the time, all the time very, very intense. It was like for me, of course, it's a tennis match, but it was like a physical battle. I found, like, her legs are insane. She's so fast.

With Aryna, it's more like winners everywhere. Sometimes you're like, I don't know, I'm just walking around the court because I feel like she's playing a PlayStation. Today she was like that. So sometimes I'm like, What's happening? I don't have time even to think.

It's completely different games, but at the same time you just have to bring the best out of you if you want to win them.

Q. Given how close you were to quitting last April, it's less than a year, can you believe how far you've actually come to make your first slam semifinal? What are the positives beyond the results on paper?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, no, it's really, really positive. I mean, I wasn't expecting maybe improving or going so fast. I didn't check, but seeing the results of everyone, now I know I'm top 10, but I think the last months maybe it's top 5 of the players that have win most matches.

So for me that's insane, and it's an insane improvement, an insane improvement mentally, of believing, of coming back from that.

I mean, I was once top 10, but doing it two times I think not a lot of people are capable of that. I'm really proud of myself because it's not easy when you're 100 in the world and you have to face these kind of players, but in the first round.

Coming back from that, I'm really, really proud of the journey.

Q. I don't know if you heard, but Aryna said on court she'd take you shopping and she'd pay. Do you have any ideas what you might get?

PAULA BADOSA: Something really expensive then. 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. I will think about it (smiling).