Stefanos Tsitsipas was there for Paula Badosa after the Spaniard suffered a heartbreaking Australian Open loss, telling his girlfriend that she is a winner in both tennis and life.
On Thursday, the Spanish tennis star appeared in her first Grand Slam semifinal.
But overcoming world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka proved to be too big a challenge as she picked up a 6-4 6-2 loss.
While Badosa was disappointed with the loss, there was still something to celebrate – she didn’t know if she would be able to continue with her career just a year ago due to her chronic back injury.
“Life has a way of throwing challenges our way, testing our strength and determination. But it’s in those tough moments that we discover what we’re truly made of,” the 27-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“Overcoming adversity isn’t just about enduring—it’s about growing, evolving, and coming out stronger than we ever imagined.
“I’ve learned to see the beauty in the journey, even the parts that felt impossible at the time. Those struggles shaped me, taught me resilience, and deepened my gratitude for every success and small victory that followed.”
Tsitsipas’ touching note to Badosa
As a good boyfriend, the Greek tennis star reposted his girlfriend’s post to his Instagram Story and captioned it: “You don’t just play tennis. You play life, and you’re winning at both.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas Instagram Story© Stefanos Tsitsipas/Instagram – Fair Use
Last April, the 27-year-old Spaniard shared that the doctors diagnosed her back injury as a chronic thing and also revealed that she was told the best thing to do would be to retire from tennis.
At the time, Badosa didn’t hide that she was very concerned and also expressed hope just to be able to play for at least a few more years.
Fortunately, her back has been responding well to a new treatment and she has actually played some of her career-best tennis since mid-2024.
On Monday, she will return to the top-10 for the first time since 2022 and be ranked at No. 10.
Tennis World USA