In the third round of the 2025 Australian Open, Badosa and Kostyuk had a fierce focus match. World No. 12 Bardosa got off to a strong start, winning the first set 6-4. However, the match took a turn in the second set, with Kostyuk quickly taking a 5-0 lead.
With the score trailing, Badosa went out of control, making exaggerated body language during the break and complaining to the team that the high winds were interfering with her performance. Tsitsipas, who was cheering for his girlfriend in the player's box, gestured to the 27-year-old Badosa to calm down.
But apparently that didn't work and instead spurred Badosa to make angry gestures to the coaching staff. Badosa motioned for the coach to play for him, a move that sent Tsitsipas a wry smile of frustration.
Despite the mood swings, Badosa gradually found his rhythm in the second set, winning four games in a row, but Kostyuk eventually dragged the match into the deciding set. In the deciding set, Badosa put in a brilliant performance to win 6-4 4-6 6-3 to advance to the fourth round in Melbourne.
After the match, the two walked to the net to shake hands, but Kostyuk seemed to hurry to complete the handshake and quickly left the court. In a post-match press conference, Badosa responded to the interaction. When asked about the "cold handshake", Badosa said it had nothing to do with her.
She speculated that this may have been due to the fact that Kostyuk had endured a long and arduous match, combined with the situation in Ukraine, which had caused her opponent to react in this way. "It's just her personal reaction and I think she has her own things to deal with." Badosa said.
In addition, Badosa clarified rumors of venting his emotions to her boyfriend Tsitsipas. Through the X platform (formerly Twitter), she clarified that her gesture of excitement at the time was directed at coach Pol Toledo, who happened to be sitting in front of Tsitsipas. Badosa also praised Tsitsipas for his enthusiastic support during the match.
"I was not facing Stefanos, I was facing my coach, who was sitting in front of Stefanos. Please don't create unnecessary drama, Stefanos is the best supporter. Badosa wrote.
Earlier, Bardosa also called on the Melbourne crowd to applaud Tsitsipas after the match, praising the Greek player's tenacious performance and hard work on the field recently, and thanking his boyfriend for his full support. In this Australian Open, Tsitsipas continued his previous sluggish form and suffered an upset in the first round, losing 1-3 to Alex Michelsen.
After beating Gibson 6-1 6-0 in the second round, Badosa affectionately dedicated the victory to his boyfriend in his post-match infield interview and was confident that Tsitsipas could return to form, "He always complained that I played too long, so today I was really proud of myself. It's amazing to have him by my side. He gave me a lot of support. Please applaud him because he's not at his best right now, but he'll definitely make a comeback. ”
After the victory over Kostyuk, Badosa will face Serbia's Danilovic in the fourth round, who upset American Pegula.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)