Paula Badosa never expected “insane” Top 10 return, eyes "really expensive" gift from Aryna Sabalenka

Paula Badosa may not have come out on the winning end Thursday night against Aryna Sabalenka, but the former world No. 2 has much to celebrate after leaving Melbourne with her best major result to date.

When Badosa competed at the Australian Open last year, she was ranked No. 100 and her future in the sport was grim after struggling to play without back pain—an issue that had kept her off the court for more than half of the 2023 season.

Read More: Badosa, Tsitsipas release Iceland vacation vlog on Tennis Channel

The Spaniard nearly called it quits down the road in 2024, believing the best days might be behind her.

“I wasn't seeing myself at the level. The back wasn't responding well,” she said Tuesday after ousting Coco Gauff to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal. “I didn't find solutions. But I wanted to keep it a last try, a last chance to finish the year and let's see how it would go.”

Badosa rose above the adversity and started winning. A lot. Now her on-court success is projected to bring her a remarkable Top 10 return when Monday’s WTA rankings are updated.

“I'm really proud of myself because it's not easy when you're 100 in the world and you have to face these kind of players, but in the first round. Coming back from that, I'm really, really proud of the journey,” Badosa told press ffollowing her loss to Sabalenka.

Prior to her run Down Under, Badosa's hard-court prowess was on full display throughout the second half of her 2024 campaign. She won her first WTA 500 title in Washington, D.C. and contested semifinals at WTA 1000 events at Cincinnati and Beijing in-between producing a maiden US Open quarterfinal showing.

“I wasn't expecting maybe improving or going so fast. I didn't check, but seeing the results of everyone, now I know I'm Top 10, but I think the last months maybe it's Top 5 of the players that have win most matches,” Badosa told press Thursday following her loss to Sabalenka. “

“So for me that's insane, and it's an insane improvement, an insane improvement mentally, of believing, of coming back from that.”

I'm really proud of myself because it's not easy when you're 100 in the world and you have to face these kind of players, but in the first round. Coming back from that, I'm really, really proud of the journey. Paula Badosa

Her next target may just need to be Sabalenka, who has now taken six consecutive meetings after dropping their first two. The world No. 1 promised she would take her bestie shopping and “pay for whatever she wants” after clinching a 6-4, 6-2 victory on Rod Laver Arena.

Badosa is more than ready to make her deliver on that in a big way.

“It's going to be something really expensive because now I think she doubled the prize money,” she said. “So I think she won't have a problem for that. I will think about it.”