It was an emotional day for Paula Badosa in Berlin, as the Spaniard advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament after a hard-earned win against fifth seed Coco Gauff. This marked her first top-10 victory of the season after a challenging stretch.
Clearly moved by the result, Badosa broke down in tears during her on-court interview.
Paula Badosa Stops Coco Gauff at the Berlin Tennis Open
Badosa received a last-minute wildcard to compete at the Berlin Tennis Open, days after she lost her opening match in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The Spaniard hadn’t competed since her first-round loss in Madrid, as she opted for an extended break to rest and recharge her mind and body.
In Berlin, the former World No. 2 secured a promising 6-3, 6-2 win against Suzan Lamens in the first round to confirm a match against Gauff, who received a bye in her opener. The American made a dominant start to their clash on Wednesday, winning the first set 6-1.
Badosa didn’t lose hope. She responded by clinching the second set 6-3. In the third set, the Spaniard broke her opponent twice to race to a 5-1 lead and eventually closed out the match with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback.
“Oh my God,” she said during her on-court interview as tears streamed down her face.
“You can see I’m very emotional. It’s been very tough. One year ago, here I got injured. Since then, I couldn’t play, like, constantly. I went through a lot professionally but personally also,” she said.
In the 2025 edition, Badosa was forced to retire from her quarterfinal match, another setback in her long-running battle with a chronic back injury. During the same period she also went through a breakup with Stefanos Tstisipas.
“Now seeing myself again playing at this level, for me, it means a lot. I know it’s just a couple matches, but for me it’s more the level that I played today against Coco because she started unbelievably well and I kept believing. I think finally I saw myself on court today,” Badosa said after beating Coco Gauff.
“Honestly, she was playing really, really hard. I played against Coco so many times, so I know she has this level. But I know if I keep going, I can have my chances. But it was really difficult. My coach, after the first set, said that ‘I never saw Coco play like this, so just keep believing, you’ll have your opportunity if you stay aggressive.’ That’s what I did,” she added.
Paula Badosa gave a very emotional on-court interview after beating Coco Gauff in Berlin
“Oh my god.” 🥹
“You can see I’m very emotional. It’s been very tough. One year ago here I got injured. Since then I couldn’t play, like, constantly. I went through a lot professionally but… pic.twitter.com/aChCtlEZDO
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 17, 2026
With the win, Paula Badosa improved her head-to-head record against Gauff to 5-3 in her favor. This was just her 11th win this season in 24 matches. She now awaits the winner of Linda Nosková vs. Diane Parry for a place in the semifinal.
Gauff, meanwhile, is still in contention in the doubles draw. She and Jessica Pegula have advanced to the quarterfinals, where they face Asia Muhammad and Fanny Stollár.
