It would be nice to see a friendly face.
But that will only add to the pressure when Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa take the court for their Australian Open semifinal on Thursday.
The pair are close friends, with Sabalenka even calling Badosa her “soulmate” in Stuttgart last year.
“I love Paula very much,” the 26-year-old Belarusian said.
“She’s a great person. Having friends on the circuit is very important, so finding someone you consider your soulmate is the best thing that could ever happen to you.”
The pair have grown closer over the past few years, practicing together during the 2024 US Open, wearing matching clothes and posting about each other on social media.
“We realized that we have very similar personalities, that we get along well, and that we are both very competitive,” Badosa said. Tennis Channel’s Inside-In Podcast, external In March.
“It’s very good for me to have a friend on tour because it’s very hard to find.”
But that friendship will have to be put on hold in Melbourne with a place in the finals at stake.
This meeting is not the first between the two. They have played eight times previously, with Sabalenka winning the last six. But it is comfortably the most high-profile encounter.
World No. 1 Sabalenka is trying to win her third straight Australian Open title, while 27-year-old Badosa is reaching the final four of a Grand Slam for the first time.
The Spaniard shocked sixth seed Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. She is continuing her remarkable recovery from a back injury that she feared would force her retirement just a year ago.
“It’s difficult to play best friends,” Sabalenka said after defeating Badosa in Stuttgart.
But no matter how difficult it may be, once you step out into Rod Laver Arena, all your emotions will be put to one side.
“We know how to separate things,” Badosa added.
“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,” said Sabalenka, who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals.
“So on the court we are competitors and there is no room for friendship.”
