Australian Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa to put friendship aside in semi-final showdown

The 2025 Australian Open women's semi-finals will be held at Melbourne Park on January 23rd, with matches starting at 08:30 GMT. BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra will provide live commentary as part of their "Tennis Breakfast" program, while the BBC Sport website and app will also offer live text coverage.

A major highlight of these semi-finals is the clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa, who are not only rivals on the court but also close friends in life. Sabalenka has publicly referred to Badosa as her "soulmate," and the two have developed a deep friendship over the past few years, often training together and even wearing matching outfits during the 2024 US Open. Badosa has also stated that it is very rare to find a friend on tour, noting that they have similar personalities, get along well, and are both very competitive.

Despite their close friendship, they will have to put it aside temporarily as they compete for a place in the final. This is not their first encounter, having played each other eight times before, with Sabalenka winning the last six matches. World No. 1 Sabalenka is aiming for her third consecutive Australian Open title, while for 27-year-old Badosa, this is her first time reaching a Grand Slam semi-final. Badosa defeated sixth seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, making a remarkable recovery from a back injury that she feared might force her into retirement a year ago.

After defeating Badosa in Stuttgart, Sabalenka said, "It’s tough to play against your best friend." Badosa added, "We know how to separate things, we decided a long time ago that off the court we are friends, and on the court, she really wants to win, and I really want to win." Sabalenka, who defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals, emphasized, "So on the court, we are competitors, and there is no friendship."

In the other semi-final, five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek will face American player Madison Keys. For the Polish second seed Swiatek, this is an opportunity to improve her disappointing record at Melbourne Park, marking only her second time advancing past the fourth round. Swiatek stated, "It's something I've been wanting to improve, I need to believe in myself more." Meanwhile, 19th seed Keys will pose a significant challenge to Swiatek, who has struggled against this type of player in the past. Keys is currently in excellent form, having won her last 10 matches and also winning the Adelaide International earlier this month.

Keys, who has failed to make a breakthrough in past Grand Slam events, is eager to prove herself. If she defeats Swiatek, the 29-year-old will reach her second final, and her first since the 2017 US Open. Keys said, "There was a point in my career where I felt like if I didn’t win a Grand Slam, I hadn’t done enough, or I hadn’t lived up to my potential. It took a lot of the fun out of it, and sometimes it felt numb out there because I felt like I needed it to happen, rather than giving myself the opportunity to try."