Aryna Sabalenka will not let her friendship with Paula Badosa affect her quest to win a third successive Australian Open title when the best friends clash in the semi-finals, the defending champion said on Tuesday.

When are the 2025 Australian Open semi-finals between Aryna Sabalanka and Paula Badosa, and Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys?

The Spaniard is playing at an extremely high level heading into this semifinal showdown.

Aryna Sabalenka will face close friend Paula Badosa in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after battling to victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The two-time defending champion’s 18-match winning run at Melbourne Park looked in serious danger when she lost the second set on a windy Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka has won the last five meetings between these two good friends, but who will book her spot in the final?

Paula Badosa has continued her resurgence here at the Australian Open, a dogged refusal to back down and take more seeds down, including Coco Gauff, in straight sets during the Quarter-Final match. Her shot selection was measured; she never gave up being consistent from the baseline and was also clutch on those return games in beating Gauff.

Paula Badosa ended Coco Gauff's winning run to reach her first grand slam semi-final at the Australian Open after recording a 7-5 6-4 victory.

You can watch every point from the Australian Open semi-final clash between Sabalenka and Badosa on the Bet365 live streaming tennis platform, with the contest scheduled to start at 8.30am GMT on Thursday, January 23.

SportsLine's Jose Onorato reveals his picks for the 2025 Australian Open women's semifinal match between Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa on Thursday

Paula Badosa is looking for a maiden Grand Slam final while defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is hoping for a third consecutive Australian Open win.

Aryna Sabalenka is set to face her best friend Paula Badosa in the Australian Open semi-finals, aiming for a third consecutive title. Despite their friendship, Sabalenka is determined to maintain her competitive edge and join an elite group of players who have achieved consecutive wins.