For Paula Badosa, the 2025 season was a complete nightmare. The journey started strongly at last year’s Australian Open, where the former world no. 2 made it to the semifinals but got eliminated by Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 6-2. However, the rest of the year? She was just troubled by her back problems.

The Spaniard will be starring in the 2026 Australian Open. And as reported by Hoqai Post on X, the 28-year-old has opened up candidly to Eurosport about the daunting process of rebuilding her game from the ground up. “Now, physically, my body has responded very well to me. I’ve done a very long preseason, I’ve been competing in some matches now, and it has responded well, so the feedback is positive,” she said.

“Obviously, I’m keeping an eye on my physical condition every day because in the end, you know, I’ve suffered a lot with injuries, and it’s something I’d like to prevent this year, and hopefully it responds like this.” Badosa’s fight with her own body has been a continuous tale since the 2023 season.

That year, at the US Open, she was set to compete against Venus Williams in round 1, but it ended prematurely, as the Spaniard had to withdraw due to the stress fracture that she suffered back at the Rome Open. This particular injury worsened at Wimbledon and eventually forced her not only out of the US Open but also the entire 2023 season.

However, the Spaniard’s pain didn’t stop there. In the subsequent seasons, both in 2024 and 2025, her suffering continued with multiple injuries, forcing her out of tennis events.

This makes her more determined to have a healthy 2026, as she confessed, saying, “I’ve come from being sidelined for many months, I’m lacking a lot of competitive rhythm, and obviously I feel it. So, in each tournament, I think I’ll start feeling a little bit better, and in the end, what I need are lots of matches and hours on the court.” So, how does the Spaniard’s Australian Open future look?

The 2026 Australian Open will be challenging for Paula Badosa

The 25th-seeded Paula Badosa will begin her 2026 Australian Open campaign against qualifier Zarina Diyas. The Kazak is currently ranked outside the world’s top 200 and received a wildcard. However, there will be immense pressure on the Spaniard, as she had an incredible Australian Open performance last year, where she even defeated Coco Gauff in the quarterfinal (7-5, 6-4), only to fall against Aryna Sabalenka.

Her Australian Open resume looks clean with a record of 11-6, which includes one notable quarterfinal and semifinal appearance, which occurred last season. Should she advance, Badosa’s path becomes far more treacherous, with a potential third-round clash against sixth-seeded American Jessica Pegula looming as a major early test.

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If the Spaniard is able to advance further in Melbourne, then she might get a rematch with none other than Aryna Sabalenka. However, the Australian Open could impose further challenges, like Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, and even Coco Gauff. So, only time will tell what fate has in store for Badosa in this new tennis season.