Coco Gauff described her thrilling start to the year coming to an abrupt end at the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday, saying she was “disappointed but not completely crushed.”

On Rod Laver Arena, the World No. 3 lost 7-5, 6-4 to Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, ending her hopes of winning a first Melbourne Park title.

Badosa dominated after claiming a close first set to stop Gauff’s nine-match winning run to start 2025.

After competing in her tenth Grand Slam quarterfinal, the 20-year-old American said she was more mature now and wouldn’t be punishing herself for the defeat.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open winner, said, “I gave it my all on the court, even though it wasn’t my best.”

“I will win some matches and lose others. Perhaps I would have felt much more heartbroken and like the world was ending a few years ago,” she said.

Gauff said that the sensation was quite different from her most recent Slam loss, a three-setter against Emma Navarro in the fourth round in New York last year. “I feel like I’m tinkering with solutions today. I am aware of my areas for improvement. I feel like I’m on the rise, despite the fact that I lost today.