"When Stefanos Tsitsipas predicted she's gonna win they called him a joke"- Fans rally behind Paula Badosa after Coco Gauff win at Australian Open

Paula Badosa scoring a huge win against Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open has delighted tennis fans. The Spaniard's struggle with injury over the years has finally paid off as she has made it to her maiden Grand Slam semifinal.

Badosa was suffering from a chronic back injury last year which led her to retire and pull out of many tournaments in 2024. This also led to her considering a shocking early retirement. However, the Spanish fighter didn't give up and her efforts finally showed at the Happy Slam. She defeated the likes of Wang Xinyu, Talia Gibson, Marta Kostyuk, and Olga Danilovic to reach the final 8.

Paula Badosa clinched a massive 7-5, 6-4 win over third seed Coco Gauff to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. She was a two-time quarterfinalist prior to this run.

Fans took to X to celebrate the 27-year-old's triumph. One fan recalled how people mocked the Spaniard's boyfriend, Stefanos Tsitsipas, when he predicted Badosa to win the Australian Open.

"Incredible indeed. When Tsitsipas predicted she was gonna win this GrandSlam, they all called him a joke Now she's 2 matches away from winning it. She deserves her good moments," the fan said.

Another fan was delighted with the former World No. 2's resurgence, alluding to her return to the upper echelons of tennis after struggles with injuries.

"Paula Badosa has been through so much in the last few years. Delayed but not denied... She's a Grand Slam semifinalist! Her resurgence has been so refreshing to watch. An incredible comeback story! Congratulations, Paulita!!!" the fan exclaimed.

Here are some other reactions from tennis fans.

"A grand slam semifinalist couldn’t be any prouder of paula after everything this fighter has been through," a fan remarked.

"Paula’s comeback from the constant injuries has been so impressive. girl just couldn’t stay fit at one point and considered early retirement, now she’s into the australian open semi finals for the first time amazing effort," a fan commented.

"She’s come so far, she almost had to quit the sport 9 months ago, and now she’s reached her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal im so happy for her omg," a fan mentioned.

"I’m super happy for Badosa. So great to see her come back after the injuries and the doubt she had when her ranking fell (after the 'Netflix curse' series). I’d like to see her win the Australian Open," a fan opined.

"I never would think that a year later, I would be here" - Paula Badosa on making her maiden Australian Open SF

Paula Badosa - Source: Getty

During her on-court interview, Paula Badosa opened up about how she was grateful to have made it to a Grand Slam semifinal following her potentially career-ending back injury.

"A year ago, I was here with my back [injury] that I didn't know if I had to retire from this sport, and now I'm here, playing the best in the world. I won today, I'm in the semifinals, and I never would think that a year later, I would be here."

11th seed Paula Badosa will face either the top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open.

Badosa's boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas was eliminated in the first round of the Australian major against Alex Michelson.