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Australian Open 2025: Sublime Sabalenka ready to walk in famous footsteps
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Aryna Sabalenka (top) defeated her friend Paula Badosa in the Australian Open women's semi-final.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MELBOURNE – The evening is cloudy in Melbourne, the cheers are clear. Not for a player but for the ball kids. It’s Women & Girls Day at the Australian Open and on this night all of them are girls. Their job is to toss balls to two racket-wielding women who are tall, fierce and confident. These are heroes to have.
On court, Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa are whistling forehands at each other in their semi-final. They are fine friends, but only before and after a match. During it, they are trying to ruin each other. A long while ago, the magnificent Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova ate together occasionally before they played each other in finals. Just women looking out for each other.
