WATCH: Badosa Asks Fans To Support Boyfriend Tsitsipas Amid Form Struggles
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Stefanos Tsitsipas made the worst possible start to 2025 at the Australian Open. However, his girlfriend Paula Badosa showed she is right behind him with a nice gesture after her second-round victory.
Tsitsipas and Badosa officially announced their relationship in June 2023. They are one of the most public tennis couples the sport has seen, regularly posting together on social media and doing interviews as a couple.
The pair briefly split up in May 2024 but reconciled a few weeks later. Despite how happy the couple seemed about the news, Tsitsipas' mother criticized Badosa afterward and felt she should have been consulted about the matter.
Badosa and Tsitsipas' relationship seems to be flourishing since their reconciliation. The Spaniard has spoken many times about how much he has supported her, including when she was injured for several months in 2023.
Both players prepared for the 2025 season by competing at last month's World Tennis League. Unsurprisingly, they were on the same team, having almost certainly requested that to be the case before agreeing to play at the tournament in Abu Dhabi.
Badosa and Tsitsipas prepared for the Australian Open in different ways. The WTA star played in two warmup tournaments but only managed one victory in what was an underwhelming start to the season for last year's US Open quarterfinalist.
By contrast, Tsitsipas decided to skip all the warmup events. He and his brother Petros also withdrew from the Australian Open men's doubles. Neither man gave an official reason for their decision.
Tsitsipas received a very tough opening-round draw against emerging ATP star Alex Michelsen. The young American possesses significant firepower and was one of the most challenging matchups the seeded players in Melbourne could have received.
It was a task that proved beyond Tsitsipas. The 2023 Australian Open runner-up exited the tournament at the first hurdle after a 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 loss to Michelsen on the John Cain Arena despite vocal support from the Greeks inside the stadium.
Badosa's second-round match against Talia Gibson contrasted sharply with her boyfriend's. The 27-year-old only lost one game and did not face a break point during a crushing win against the home favorite on the Margaret Court Arena.
The 11th seed spoke to the crowd in an on-court interview, which can be viewed below. Badosa joked that Tsitsipas often complains about her playing long matches before generously asking the crowd to give Tsitsipas a round of applause after his tough loss to Michelsen.
"I think he always complains that I do long matches that I do long matches, so today I was like really proud of myself that he didn't have to stay much here."
"But no, it's amazing to have him by my side. It's very inspiring, especially a player that is so good at what he does, you know? And he gives me so much advice and support and vice versa. It is great to have him by my side. Guys, I want a round of applause for him because he’s not having the best moment, but he will come back.”
Tsitsipas also had a challenging season in 2024, but Badosa's support should help him cope with those tough moments.
