Small steps to return to the top of women’s tennis. Five months have passed since his return to the field Paula Badosathe former number two who in 2023 experienced a year dotted with injuries that made her plummet in the rankings and think she would no longer be able to return to high levels.
However, the Iberian tennis player has not stopped believing that she can compete at a good level, and some positive results have brought her up to 140th position in the WTA ranking. In a recent interview with Georgy Tennis, the 26-year-old confessed what her hopes are in view of Roland Garros and her long-term goal, also talking about the expectations with which she started her career and commenting on the retirement of Garbiñe Muguruza and the Dominic Thiem’s retirement announcement.
The words of Paula Badosa
The nightmare of injury. “I always give my 100% on the pitch, and that’s what I want to show to the whole worldthat no matter how I play that day, I will fight until the end.
It was complicated. It was in Rome a year ago when I got the stress fracture, it was a very, very long process, very tough mentally. I finally feel healthy, obviously I won’t always be 100%, but now I can compete.
My body still has to get used to the pace. Two months ago it would have been impossible to play four games in a row,” said Badosa. The objectives. “Right now, to be completely honest, my back has to respond.
Sometimes I feel the pain after four games in a row and it’s not great. I want to play matches like the one against Coco Gauff in Rome, even if they are exciting and tough, I live for it. I have this personality and I want to be among the best in the world again, that’s why I play tennis.
I don’t want to be where I am now, I want to continue enjoying the competition, but win as many games as possible and be at the top“. Hopes ahead of Roland Garros. “Roland Garros has always been a special tournament for meI like playing on clay, I feel quite good.
It always depends a bit on the draw, you never know, but I think that if I’m healthy and train well these days, I can play against anyone” said the Barcelona player, who won the junior tournament in 2015: ” There were a lot of expectations on me, especially in Spain, where they expected me to be the next Top 10, the next star, but I wasn’t mentally prepared to face all this.
I suffered a lot for two years, I remember that I was in a very dark moment where I couldn’t see the light. Thanks to this I am the person I am today, the fighter I am, this has made me stronger.” The Spanish tennis player concluded by talking about the retirements of Muguruza and Thiem.
“I was very sad when I saw the news because Muguruza was an example for me, I have always admired her, I love her way of playing and it is incredible what she has done for Spanish tennis, winning Grand Slams and being the first in the world.
It was something great for our country, after Conchita and Arantxa. She was a great inspiration for me, I had the opportunity to play with her and train with her. Unfortunately I think she retired at a very young age, but it’s her decision and she deserves to be happy.
After achieving so much in tennis, it was important to be happy in my private life. Sport is very emotional, mentally it’s brutal, it pushes you to the limit. I too have been through a lot this year and I couldn’t see the light.
I didn’t know what to do, I was lost and I understand the feeling of not finding solutions. Seeing yourself so low after being at the top is not easy, you have to be very strong mentally. The love for this sport is what keeps me competing.”
