Paula Badosa’s resurgence has been impossible to ignore. A title in Bastad, a runner-up finish in Iasi, and now an opening-round win in Hamburg have underlined the former World No. 2’s comeback. But as impressive as her results have been, it was the remarkable 48-hour turnaround between the Iasi final and her first-round appearance in Hamburg that truly left fans scratching their heads.

The moment came during Badosa’s opening-round match against Katarzyna Kawa in Hamburg. Facing a break point, the Spaniard constructed the rally brilliantly, holding firm from the baseline before drawing her opponent to the net with a delicate drop shot and finishing the point with a perfectly judged lob. What made the sequence all the more remarkable was the timing.

Just 48 hours earlier, Badosa had left the court in tears after retiring from the Iasi Open final because of an injury. Given the concerns surrounding her fitness, her composed performance and straight-sets victory in Hamburg came as an encouraging response.

Fans were stunned at the Spaniard’s movement on the court just days after she took a walked over in Romania.

On July 20, Badosa faced Mayar Sherif in the final of the Iasi Open, when she was visibly struggling in the match, having called for two medical timeouts. Even though there was no particular injury troubling her, she was feeling tired and complained of sickness, which prevented her from continuing the match.

One could argue that the Spaniard was simply running on empty. Before arriving in Iasi, she had already won the WTA 125 title in Bastad, while her run in Romania included a pair of demanding three-set battles, most notably the semifinal against Tamara Zidansek. To make matters more challenging, the final itself was pushed back by a day because of rain, leaving the Spaniard with little time to recover. Eventually, Badosa withdrew from the match, handing the title to Sherif.

Fighting back tears, the 27-year-old confessed, “I hate losing a final, and I’m really sorry that I had to do it this way, but I couldn’t keep up with my body, so I apologise for that also.”

Even so, many fans remained unconvinced, questioning the timing of her retirement and expressing skepticism over her withdrawal. However, looking at Badosa’s injury history on the Tour, it is understandable why she would pull the plug from a match if she was not feeling fully fit.

The former World No. 2 has been suffering from a back injury and remains active on the Tour after receiving injections and rigorous therapy regimens. The Spaniard’s ranking has suffered significantly because of her injury setbacks, making every point crucial. With the North American hard-court swing now underway,a stretch where she has traditionally enjoyed success, it also made sense for Badosa to be cautious and prioritize her long-term fitness.

Nonetheless, fans were not up for any logic, as they called out the Spaniard’s Hamburg performance that came two days after her Iasi retirement.

Tennis fans left shocked at Badosa’s fitness in Hamburg after Iasi withdrawal

Fans were quick to call out Badosa’s withdrawal from Iasi, since the Spaniard looked fit during her match in Hamburg. “I want to remind she was extremely injured 4 days ago,” added a user on their X.

Another user was even more brutal, as they suggested that the Spaniard had withdrawn against Sherif because she did not want a bagel on the scoresheet. However, the match between Badosa and Sherif began as a tightly contested affair, with both players exchanging multiple service breaks in the opening set. However, it was Sherif who found the decisive break to edge the set 6-4. The Egyptian then took complete control in the second, racing to a 4-0 lead before Badosa was forced to retire.

But the user took a jibe at the Spaniard for the walkover and penned, “no actor is as good as a tennis player avoiding a bagel/loss.”

Badosa had been struggling physically throughout the second set, with her left leg heavily strapped, and she was unable to push through beyond four games. Clearly in discomfort, the Spaniard was seen laboring between points before eventually retiring from the match. Afterwards, she hinted that another injury setback had forced her hand, admitting that it was especially painful to end her nine-match winning streak that way. In an already challenging season, her physical issues had once again come back to haunt her.

However, after watching Badosa move freely, execute drop shots, and produce some high-quality tennis in Hamburg just 48 hours later, many fans began questioning the circumstances surrounding her retirement in Iasi. One said, “I thought she was injured”, while another said, “Wait, wasn’t she just injured last week?!?!”

As fate would have it, Badosa could get an immediate chance to face Sherif once again. If Badosa and Sherif get past their respective second-round opponents, Panna Udvardy and Elsa Jacquemot, they will meet again in the quarterfinals. It would give the Spaniard an opportunity not only to avenge her defeat in Iasi, but also to put the recent speculation surrounding her retirement behind her.