Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa will look to prolong their doubles stay at the Brisbane International as they lock horns with third seeds Cristina Bucșa and Ellen Perez. Whoever out of the two teams win, will take on second seeds Aleksandra Krunić and Anna Dalinina in the semifinals.
Both pairs won their respective opening-round matches in straight sets, with Sabalenka and Badosa narrowly Liudmila Samsonova and Zhang Shuai 7-6(2), 7-6(3) while Bucșa and Perez registered a comprehensive 6-2, 6-0 victory over the Aussie pair of Kimberly Birrell and Talia Gibson. The Spaniard will also be eager to get a win over Sabalenka after being trounced 0-6, 1-6 by her in the second round of the singles tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka / Paula Badosa vs. Ellen Perez / Cristina Bucșa Match Details
Date: Jan. 7, 2025
Tournament: Brisbane International 2026
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane, Australia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, Sky Sports
Sabalenka / Badosa vs. Perez / Bucșa Head-to-Head
The two pairs have not had any prior doubles encounters so far on the WTA Tour. In singles, Sabalenka has a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Bucșa and a 1-0 lead against Perez. Badosa is yet to face the Aussie but has won all of her three prior meetings against Bucșa.
Sabalenka / Badosa vs. Perez / Bucșa Prediction
While Sabalenka and Badosa make a very solid team, Perez and Bucșa are ranked considerably higher than the two. However, the same could be said for Samsonova and Zhang, and the Spanish-Belarusian duo managed to defeat them albeit after two tight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa get the win!
7-6(2)- 7-6(3) vs. Zhang Shuai/Samsonova pic.twitter.com/CVomn1WFkR
— Tennis Xtra (@TennisXtra) January 4, 2026
Sabalenka’s mental strength has only been on the rise and Badosa will be high on confidence after her singles win over Marie Bouzková despite being a set down. The two’s playing styles carry every facet a good doubles team should have and they have a good chance of giving their much higher-ranked opponents a run for their money.
Perez and Bucșa were completely ruthless against their opening-round opponents and will look to maintain the same intensity against Sabalenka and Badosa. If somewhere, things boil down to fitness, they might even have an edge as Badosa might look to go easy on her body so that she can keep herself prepared for singles. However, the Spaniard and Sabalenka have a considerable mental edge.
While Sabalenka and Badosa did well to oust Samsonova and Zhang, Bucșa and Perez are a tough team and if they hold their nerve, they have a fair chance of ending the journey of one of tennis’ most loved pairs.
Pick: Bucșa and Perez to win in straight sets.
