During her match with Marta Kostiuk, Paula Bandosa in the middle of the tension, apparently humorously offered her racket to Stefanos Tsitsipas, looking for support at a crucial turning point of the match.
The Spaniard created a special moment in the Australian Openas she found herself in a difficult position during the second set of her match. After her excellent performance in the first set which she won 6-4, Bandosa struggled in the second, falling behind 0-5.
Looking for support, she turned to her partner, Stefanos Tsitsipas and her coach, offering them her racket! The Greek tennis player tried to calm her down, as can be seen in the video. Tsitsipas, who was on the field early, asked her to calm down, giving her a smile. This moment seems to have given a boost to Bandosa, who managed to win four games in a row. Although she did not take the second set, which ended 6-4 in favor of Kostiuk, Bandosa managed to recover strongly in the third set.
The battle continued, with Bandosa winning the third set 6-3 to secure victory, advancing to the fourth round for the first time since 2022. In her post-match interview, she commented on Tsitsipas’ support, stating that he gave her valuable advice even though he was more nervous than she was. “It was a psychological battle and I’m happy that I succeeded.” said Bandosa, praising Tsitsipas support.
Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas having a moment during her match at the Australian Open 😂😂😂pic.twitter.com/AG3fMszqc1
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 17, 2025
Badosa after beating Kostyuk at Australian Open
“Tsitsipas was in the crowd. At 0-5 down you asked if he wanted to come on court & play…”
Paula: “I was saying it to my coach… but he was very supportive.. I think he was more nervous than me” 😂
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 17, 2025
🥊 what a fighter!@paulabadosa wins a terrific back-and-forth contest against Marta Kostyuk!
The Spaniard takes it 6-4 4-6 6-3 and is through to the last 16.@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/Ia1QXdhJDK
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2025
