Paula Badosa sends message from Australian Open to boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas after Greek's emotional journey back home amid form struggles

Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa extended support to her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas as he landed in Greece following a devastating loss in the first round of the Australian Open to up-and-coming American youngster Alex Michelsen.

A former finalist in Australia in 2023, the 26-year-old Tsitsipas lost to the hard-hitting No. 42 ranked Michelsen 5-7 3-6 6-2 4-6.

Days after the shocking upset, Stefanos Tsitsipas returned to his native country Greece, where he hit the courts along with his younger brother Petros Tsitsipas, 24. Sharing a video where the two brothers can be seen enjoying an intense hitting session, Stefanos captioned it,

"Sometimes you need to go back to where it started to remember why you started."

Paula Badosa, who has been dating the Greek tennis star since May 2023, wholeheartedly agreed with his sentiment.

"Couldn't agree more with the caption," she wrote.

Instagram | @stefanostsitsipas98

Stefanos and Petros also spent some time with Eirini Kapogianni, their orthodontist since their return to Greece.

Meanwhile, Badosa has struck a rich vein of form, reaching the semifinals of the first major of the year.

Paula Badosa has backed her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas to "come back" amid his loss of form

Paula Badosa stunned Coco Gauff at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

Paula Badosa has stunned the tennis world by pulling off a string of high-profile wins during the ongoing Australian Open. The Spaniard, in her quarterfinal fixture, ousted the No. 3 seed and pre-tournament favorite Coco Gauff in a dominant display, winning 7-5, 6-4.

Gauff was in red-hot form coming into the tournament. She had proved instrumental in clinching the United Cup for her country and defeated her arch-nemesis, Iga Swiatek, in the final.

Badosa, after a dismal 2023 marked by a loss of form and injuries, made a resurgence in 2024. After a consistent season, which saw her make the last eight at the US Open, the 27-year-old has climbed back into the Top 12 of the WTA rankings.

Following a straightforward second-round win over Talia Gibson, Paula Badosa admitted that her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was in attendance, was not going through his best moment.

However, she promised that he would "come back".

Badosa said, "He (Stefanos Tsitsipas) always complains about my long matches, so today I am proud of myself. It's incredible to have him by my side, he inspires me a lot, especially such a good player. He gives me a lot of advice. Let's give him a round of applause because he's not going through his best moment, but he will come back."

Badosa will next face the No. 1 seed and the defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for a spot in the final.