Paula Badosa Stuns Coco Gauff to Reach Berlin Open Quarterfinals

Posted : 18 June 2026

Paula Badosa produced a stirring comeback to defeat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 and book her place in the Berlin Open quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Spanish star was visibly emotional after sealing her first win since April, admitting the past year had been extremely difficult both professionally and personally.

The 28-year-old struggled to hold back tears on court as she reflected on her journey back from injury. Badosa explained that she has endured a challenging spell since suffering a setback in Berlin last year, which disrupted her consistency and saw her drop down the rankings after previously reaching world No. 2.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka also progressed to the last eight with a straight-sets 6-4, 6-4 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, maintaining her strong form despite returning to competition following her emotional exit at Roland Garros. Sabalenka took control early in both sets, breaking serve at key moments to secure victory.

Third seed Jessica Pegula continued her winning run by defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour. The American extended her dominance over the Czech player with a fifth consecutive win, showcasing consistency ahead of Wimbledon. Pegula will now face Badosa in the next round.

Elsewhere, rising Filipino talent Alexandra Eala delivered an impressive performance to overcome experienced Croatian Donna Vekic 7-5, 6-4 in a tightly contested match lasting nearly two hours. Despite facing 14 break points, Eala showed resilience by saving 12 of them and converting key opportunities to secure the victory.

Badosa, now ranked outside the top 100 after her injury struggles, credited her belief and perseverance for her resurgence. She said rediscovering her level against a top opponent like Gauff meant a great deal and reflected her determination to return to elite competition.

Gauff, meanwhile, suffered a difficult start to her grass-court season. The world No. 7 dominated the opening set but faltered as her serve weakened, allowing Badosa to take control of the match. The American has now endured a series of disappointing grass-court results following her French Open triumph last year.

Sabalenka and Pegula’s progress, alongside Badosa’s emotional return to form, sets up an intriguing quarterfinal stage in Berlin as players fine-tune their preparations ahead of Wimbledon.

Paula Badosa Stuns Coco Gauff to Reach Berlin Open Quarterfinals

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