Oksana Selekhmeteva claimed the first top-30 victory of her career by defeating 25th seed Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Australian Open on January 22, 2026. The 23-year-old Russian reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, sealing the win with a stunning angled backhand pass. Badosa, a semifinalist last year, expressed disappointment but acknowledged her struggles in the match.
Paula Badosa entered the 2026 Australian Open with hopes of building on her semifinal run from the previous year, but her campaign ended abruptly in the second round against unseeded Oksana Selekhmeteva. After a first-round win over Zarina Diyas, Badosa fell 6-4, 6-4 to the world No. 101, a result that will see her ranking drop to around No. 66, outside the top 60.
In her post-match press conference, the 28-year-old Spaniard was candid about her performance. "I’m not happy, obviously. I think she deserves credit, of course, but I also believe that I have done things to deserve this defeat. I haven’t played great tennis, I’m finding it a bit hard to feel like myself, but I guess it’s part of the process," Badosa said. She noted that windy conditions affected her serve, one of her strongest weapons, landing only 47% of first serves and winning 53% of those points. "It was a bit windy and that was impacting my serve a little," she added, while crediting Selekhmeteva's left-handed angles for making her uncomfortable from the start.
Despite the loss, Badosa remains optimistic about her physical condition after a history of back injuries since 2023, which sidelined her for much of the 2023 season and disrupted 2024 and 2025. "I’m fine in that aspect [physically], the body is responding well, which is good news," she said. "Now what I need is to keep playing several matches in a row to feel like myself again as soon as possible." Her motivation persists: "Obviously, this season has just begun, my hopes are still intact, the same objectives remain. Right now, I’m far from them."
For Selekhmeteva, the victory marks a breakthrough. A former top-10 junior and two-time girls' doubles Grand Slam champion—with titles at the 2019 US Open alongside Kamilla Bartone and the 2021 French Open with Alexandra Eala—she overcame a serious left shoulder injury in 2023 that dropped her ranking to No. 904. Her 2025 resurgence included WTA 125 titles in San Sebastián and Rovereto, propelling her into the top 100. This was her first Grand Slam main-draw win, following a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 victory over Ella Seidel in the opener. In an on-court speech, she reflected on her journey: "When I was six, a tennis coach told me I wasn't good at it." She now faces No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula in the third round.
