Spain’s Paula Badosa, 28, currently No. 26 in the world rankings, heads into the Australian Open (January 18 to February 1) in a somewhat delicate position, carrying the weight of the 780 ranking points she earned as a semifinalist in 2025, nearly half of her current total of 1,675 points.
While her top priority is simply for her body to respond and allow her to compete in optimal conditions, last year marked her best Grand Slam run to date, reaching the semifinals before falling to Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka.
Badosa begins her campaign against veteran Kazakh Zarina Diyas, 32, currently ranked No. 285 after once reaching a caree
r high of No. 31. It will be a first-ever meeting on the WTA Tour.
Badosa’s goal is to become public enemy No. 1 for American tennis power, as she finds herself in a section of the draw packed with U.S. threats, except for Coco Gauff, who is in the opposite half and could face tennis legend Venus Williams as early as the second round.
If Badosa advances, her second opponent would come from the match between Germany’s Elia Seidel and Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva.
Ampliar
Women’s main singles draw (I)
X / @MichalSamulski
Women’s main singles draw (II)
X / @MichalSamulski
That would mark the start of a daunting American gauntlet: a potential third-round clash with sixth seed Jessica Pegula, a round-of-16 showdown against reigning champion Madison Keys (No. 9), and, as a possible grand finale, a quarterfinal against fourth seed Amanda Anisimova.
It is a challenging draw for Badosa, and also for fellow Spaniard Jessica Bouzas, who opens against a qualifier but could face Marketa Vondrousova in the second round and Gauff in the third. Meanwhile, Cantabrian Cristina Bucsa faces a tough opening test against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.