Paula Badosa is once again navigating through rough injury waters. It’s been almost a year since the Spaniard struggled to put her best foot forward. A former World No. 2 who has been dating ATP superstar Stefanos Tsitsipas, Badosa is familiar with the mental struggle to be better and stronger that comes from being at the top. She had barely arrived back on the court this season when she had to step back again, as Badosa revealed in a heartbreaking admission.

The Spanish player started struggling last year because of recurrent back issues. Even though 2024 was supposed to be better, Badosa’s injuries are not letting her off the hook. She retired mid-match at the Stuttgart Open against best friend Aryna Sabalenka because of a leg injury and it has not been easy to stay away from the court again.

Paula Badosa wants to come back stronger and “face the big players”

Recently, the 26-year-old tennis player appeared as a guest on the WTA Insider podcast, where she talked about the mental challenges of coming back and how she is trying to deal with them. Paula Badosa stated, “I think what’s making me fight every day, it’s the love that I have for this sport, and that I always had this goal, to be one of the best in the world and to win tournaments and to face the big players.”

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Badosa highlighted that she’s a fighter and has the urge to get up and play every day. Although unsure of the reason, playing sports has always been a dream that motivates Badosa to do better.

She added, “So it’s been very tough mentally, especially this past year, and especially now that I started again, seeing myself in a place that maybe I would never expect or I don’t want, I don’t like it at all, you know, maybe seeing that my level is not there, my physicality is not the same then when I left. The mental part it’s there, of course, I always believe that I’m a fighter. And of course, but still the confidence is not there.”

This is not Badosa’s first foray into opening up about mental health. The Spaniard has encouraged tennis players to open up about their struggles because she has seen it all. Called a ‘potential star’ at first, the next Maria Sharapova, and then reaching the no. 2 spot. “I felt like, ‘Wow, now I have to be a legend. Maybe next year, I have to be a Top 10 player.’ So, for me, it was a lot of pressure,” Badosa said in the first installment of Netflix’s Break Point last year.

Bogged down by injuries, what does she plan to do next?

How long does Badosa plan to play tennis?

While the Spaniard is quite young to even think about retirement at this age, the way her injury has created a problem for her, Paula Badosa has something in her mind ready. She said, “For me, being able to play three or four more years would be amazing.” Further, Badosa also highlighted how rising to the top is not that easy, making her comeback journey even more difficult. Badosa has her tentative time calculated until when she would like to play tennis if this kind of injury keeps coming back.

Stuttgart was Badosa’s 4th retirement in 2024 and 11th overall in her tour-level career. Although things might not be going her way health-wise, Paula Badosa has a fighter’s spirit that fans hope to see back in action soon!