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Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open Quarterfinals 

USA's Coco Gauff speaks at a press conference following her women's singles quarterfinal match against Spain's Paula Badosa on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff speaks at a press conference following her women's singles quarterfinal match against Spain's Paula Badosa on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
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Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open Quarterfinals 

USA's Coco Gauff speaks at a press conference following her women's singles quarterfinal match against Spain's Paula Badosa on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff speaks at a press conference following her women's singles quarterfinal match against Spain's Paula Badosa on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2025. (AFP)

Coco Gauff's forehand and serve abandoned her in the worst way and at the worst time at the Australian Open on Tuesday, and the No. 3-seeded American was eliminated in the quarterfinals by No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain 7-5, 6-4.

Gauff entered the match at Rod Laver Arena with a 9-0 record in 2025 and on a 13-match winning streak that dated to her title at the WTA Finals in November. Using tweaks to some key strokes to great effect in the hopes of earning a second Grand Slam title at age 20, the 2023 US Open champion had only dropped one set through four matches at Melbourne Park this year.

“She’s full of confidence. But I’m playing well, too,” Badosa said ahead of the contest. “I’m ready to face her.”

Was she ever. And Badosa now heads to her first Grand Slam semifinal at age 27.

“I'm a bit emotional,” said Badosa, who had been 0-2 in major quarterfinals. “I wanted to play my best tennis. I think I did. ... I’m super proud of the level I gave today.”

Gauff finished with 41 unforced errors, a total that included six double-faults — including on the last point of the game that put Badosa ahead 5-2 in the second set — and 28 missed forehands.

Gauff never earned so much as a single break point until after she already trailed by a set and a break in the second.

Badosa reached a career-best ranking of No. 2 in 2022, but then dealt with a serious back injury that had her contemplating ending her tennis career.

“I would never think that, a year after, I would be here,” Badosa said. “I’ve been through a lot. In the past, I was one of the best players in the world.”

She next will go up against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion in Melbourne, or No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the runner-up at the 2021 French Open. Their quarterfinal was to be played Tuesday night.

That was scheduled to be followed by the day's most-anticipated matchup: Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic, 37, is aiming for an 11th Australian Open trophy and a record 25th Grand Slam singles title overall. Alcaraz seeks to complete a career Grand Slam at age 21 by adding a championship in Australia to the ones he already owns: two from Wimbledon plus one apiece from the US Open and French Open.

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Novak Djokovic Beats Carlos Alcaraz and Gets Closer to 25th Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess
Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess
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Novak Djokovic Beats Carlos Alcaraz and Gets Closer to 25th Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess
Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess

Novak Djokovic refused to let anything stop his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam trophy in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Not a problem with his left leg. Not an early deficit. And not the kid across the net, Carlos Alcaraz, who was making things difficult and eyeing his own bit of history.

Djokovic overcame it all, just as he has so often along the way to so many triumphs, moving into the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the 12th time with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alcaraz in a scintillating showdown Tuesday night between a pair of stars born 16 years apart and at opposite ends of their careers, The AP reported.

The action was non-stop, the shot-making brilliant, even as the match stretched on for more than 3 1/2 hours and nearly to 1 a.m. — never more so, perhaps, than when Alcaraz saved a break point that would have put Djokovic ahead 5-2 in the fourth set, allowing him to serve for the win. The 33-stroke exchange was the longest of the evening, and when it ended with Djokovic sailing a forehand long, the capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena went wild. Djokovic reached for his bothersome leg and yelled toward his entourage; Alcaraz, his chest heaving, leaned on a towel box and grinned.

Turned out that only delayed the final result.

With his wife, son and daughter cheering in the stands, the No. 7-seeded Djokovic prevailed thanks to the sort of remarkable returning and no-mistakes-made groundstrokes against Alcaraz that now-retired rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dealt with for years.

Djokovic enjoyed some of his own best efforts in the latter stages, pointing to his ear or blowing kisses or spreading his arms while puffing out his chest. There was the forehand winner on a 22-stroke point that earned the break for a 5-3 lead in the third set. There was that set’s last point, which included a back-to-the-net sprint to chase down a lob. Alcaraz wasn’t shy, either, shouting “Vamos!” and pumping his fists after one particularly booming forehand in the fourth set.

On Friday, Djokovic’s 50th major semifinal will come against No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, a two-time runner-up at majors who beat No. 12 Tommy Paul 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. The other men’s quarterfinals are Wednesday: No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 8 Alex de Minaur, and No. 21 Ben Shelton against unseeded Lorenzo Sonego.