Paula Badosa‘s nine-match winning streak came to an end in the most heartbreaking way possible at the Iasi Open final. After losing the first set 6-4 to Mayar Sherif, the Spaniard also went on to lose the first four games of the second set before eventually deciding to retire from the contest. However, the reason behind her retirement doesn’t appear to be an injury, but physical discomfort.

Notably, Badosa has been playing regularly ever since the grass swing commenced in June. She has participated in six tournaments in a little over a month. The immense fatigue of playing so many matches finally caught up to her in the final, as she wasn’t able to continue after a certain point.

There couldn’t have been a worse time for these fitness issues to reappear for Badosa. She had worked incredibly hard to improve her form, but she may now have to sit on the sidelines again because of the latest physical setback. That is the last thing Badosa would have wanted, as the hard-court season is right around the corner.

The Iasi Open final, which had been suspended for a whole day due to relentless rain, proved to be quite an entertaining affair in the first set. There were multiple breaks as both Badosa and Sherif were barely able to hold their respective serves. But the latter eventually got the crucial service hold and clinched the first set after breaking Badosa’s serve on three occasions.

The second set proved to be one-way traffic as Sherif clearly looked to be the better player. Badosa’s physical struggles also amplified, and she had to take a medical timeout at 3-0. She would continue for just one more game before eventually pulling out of the final. This saw Sherif claim just her second WTA title and her first in four years.

Badosa was left shattered after she had to pull out of the final. The Spaniard was so dejected that she even issued an apology to the crowd who had come to support her.

“I’m always a player that’s very honest and real,” she said during her post-match interview. “I have to say I hate this moment right now. I hate losing a final, and I’m really sorry that I had to do it in this way, but I couldn’t keep up with my body, so I apologize for that also.”

It’s not a big surprise that physical setbacks came back to haunt Badosa in the final. She has suffered from severe physical problems, especially since last year. This has resulted in her missing several tournaments on the Tour. Additionally, her campaign at the Iasi Open was anything but easy.

Though Badosa did start her campaign with a thumping 6-3, 6-1 victory over Anhelina Kalinina, things have only gotten tougher for her since then. Alevtina Ibragimova took her to the absolute limit in the second round, but the Spaniard eventually triumphed 7-6, 1-6, 6-4. Badosa then recorded a convincing 6-4, 7-6 victory against Panna Udvardy before Tamara Zidansek provided her the toughest challenge of the tournament.

The match proved to be a dramatic affair and swung in favor of both players on multiple occasions. Badosa mounted a sensational comeback after losing the first set and secured her place in the final with a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 victory.

Though the defeat to Sherif must be incredibly disappointing for Badosa, the Iasi Open was undoubtedly a big success for her. Her four consecutive wins in the tournament saw her ranking rise substantially.

Paula Badosa breaks into the top 100 once again after nine straight wins

It was only last month that Badosa had dropped to No. 141 on the rankings after suffering a first-round exit against Emma Navarro at Wimbledon. With her form having remained underwhelming throughout the season, she was expected to play the qualifying rounds at the US Open.

But the 28-year-old’s triumph in Bastad resulted in her rank rising to No. 115. Things only got better for her in Romania as she continued her winning run and reached her second final in as many weeks.

This run of results has seen Badosa’s ranking improve to No. 93. This surge couldn’t have come at a better time, as the US Open’s entry list officially closes on July 20. With Badosa being inside the top 100, she will now get a direct entry into the main draw and won’t have to worry about the qualifying rounds.

Badosa’s ranking could have reached even greater highs if she had defeated Sherif. She was expected to reach No. 75 if she had triumphed at the Iasi Open, but her ranking won’t rise any further for now.