“No matter what happens on the court, we gonna be friends after our matches.” Aryna Sabalenka didn’t shy away from expressing her feelings for best friend and Spanish pro-Paula Badosa on Thursday. At Rod Laver Arena, the two friends were pitted against each other in a race towards the Happy Slam’s final. Sabalenka emerged victorious eventually as she outperformed her bestie in just 1 hour and 26 minutes with a score line of 6-4, 6-2. The Tiger then consoled Badosa after her loss while vowing to win back her heart. However, a former ATP pro believes the ‘SabaDosa’ friendship is not that strong! Really?
In an episode of his Served With Andy Roddick podcast, dated January 23, the 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick had some beans to spill on Sabalenka’s friendship with Paula Badosa. As he was talking about the Belarusian ahead of the final against Madison Keys, his focus shifted to the World No.1’s bond with her Spanish counterpart. Making a shocking claim, in a cheeky manner though, Roddick took a jab at Sabalenka. But hey, there’s nothing serious here so don’t worry.
Talking about Sabalenka’s semifinal clash against Badosa, Roddick said, “I don’t want to gloss over Sabalenka because there was a match that was more dramatic. She just went out and took care of it. If they’re friends, she doesn’t treat Paula like one all the time. I’ll tell you that. They’re supposedly best friends. I don’t know, man.”
Roddick stressed that Sabalenka “Didn’t treat her (Badosa) like it (a friend) today.” He was probably referring to the scorecard that reflected Sabalenka’s dominance over her off-court bestie, as she gave the Spaniard no chance at all.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa after their match at Australian Open.
Less than 20 minutes after playing a Grand Slam semifinal… they’re back to chatting & laughing like normal.
Love this friendship so much.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 23, 2025
But what happens on the court, stays on the court in the case of ‘SabaDosa’. And even if Badosa is slightly upset right now, Sabalenka’s ready to win back her love at all costs. It was evident from her honest confession after the match.
Aryna Sabalenka wants to win Paula Badosa’s heart with a special gift
Paula Badosa was left dejected after missing out on her first Slam final. And Aryna Sabalenka knew it well. She didn’t vanish away from the Rod Laver Arena after clinching the match. Instead, the World No.1 immediately reached out to her bestie and consoled her.
Speaking about their bond after the match, the Belarusian said “I think after a couple of battles against each other we’ve spoken and we’ve decided to put it aside. We’re here, she wanted it badly, we both wanted it badly. It’s our dream. We know no matter what happens on the court we’re going to be friends.”
Moreover, Sabalenka also revealed her plan to win Badosa’s heart, no matter what. But what will she do? “I hope she’s still my friend, I’m sure she’ll hate me for the next hour or day or two. I’m OK with that, I can handle that. I would love to go shopping together soon, and I promise to pay for anything she wants,” said the World No. 1.
Before they can go on a shopping date though, Aryna Sabalenka has one last battle to fight in Melbourne. She’s going to be up against the first-time AO finalist Madison Keys on Saturday. At Rod Laver Arena, the World No.1 would like to repeat history. After 26 years, she can become the first WTA player since Martina Hingis to win three successive Australian Open titles. Keys on the other hand, will look to extend her 11-match winning streak in this season by clinching her first-ever singles Slam. Who are you backing to win? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post ‘Doesn’t Treat Paula (Badosa) Like One’ – Andy Roddick Drops Cheeky Take On Aryna Sabalenka’s Attitude Towards Tennis Soulmate appeared first on EssentiallySports.
