Badosa: "I was very close to retirement, I couldn't see myself at the level I was at".

Paula Badosa qualified for the Australian Open semi-finals against Cori Gauff on Tuesday. A welcome surprise for the Spaniard, who had to battle for a long time with physical problems in her back.

She told a press conference: "There was a time last year when I was very close to retirement because I couldn't see myself playing at the level I wanted.

My back wasn't responding well, I couldn't find any solutions, but I wanted to try my luck one last time, one last chance to finish the year and see how it went.

Well, here I am. I'm very proud of everything my team and I went through, especially the way we fought through it all, especially mentally.

I'll never feel free until I win the tournament. I'm always like that, it's my personality, my character.

Today, I may have had slightly lower expectations, but I still felt the pressure because I desperately wanted to win.

I'm going into the semi-finals, no matter who I'm up against, and I desperately want to win. That's part of who I am.

I believe that, when I reach the final round, my level will increase and that's what I want to do: give 100% and give everything on the court."

She will face either Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semi-finals.