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Aryna Sabalenka is through to yet another semifinal at the Australian Open after overcoming a rather spirited effort from Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The match was more complicated than Sabalenka would have liked, as she had to play three sets.
To get to a third consecutive Australian Open final, Sabalenka must overcome her good friend Paula Badosa, who is having a fantastic event herself. Badosa stunned Coco Gauff in straight sets, surprising many but not Sabalenka, who had watched her throughout the event, noting her fantastic level.
After her match, Sabalenka held the customary press conference where she was asked about facing Badosa. She shared her thoughts about the upcoming semifinal:
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"I mean, she's a great player and she's been through a lot. Now she's back to her best game and I'm really happy to see that. I saw her games here; she's playing really great tennis. I just need to focus on myself and stay aggressive, and I have to put her under a lot of pressure. I'm really excited to face her in the semis. It's definitely going to be a great battle, and I'm really looking forward to it." (1:15)
Few players have been as dominant as Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open. She's won in two straight years and will be the overwhelming favorite when she faces Badosa in a couple of days.
Aryna Sabalenka's dominant run at the Australian Open
Aryna Sabalenka has dominated at the Australian Open for a very long time. She won her maiden Grand Slam trophy at the event in 2023 and then followed that up in 2024 by winning the event.
The last time Sabalenka was beaten at the Australian Open was in 2022 when Kaia Kanepi bested her in three sets. Since then, she's been on a winning streak that hasn't ended in 2025. It's 19 consecutive wins for Sabalenka in Melbourne, with Badosa possibly being the 20th player she'll beat in a row at the event.
Time will tell, but Sabalenka has been amazing this year. She's undefeated as of now, holding a 10-0 record on the season. The last time she lost to Badosa was in 2021.
