Things are not going well for Paula Badosa. After separating from her former boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, this Spanish WTA star had quite an awful exit from her Madrid tour. While Badosa and Tsitsipas chose to discontinue their relationship amicably, their fans were intrigued to know what pushed this former famous tennis couple to call it a quit. Badosa who has been quite vocal about her mental distress post-breakup chose to bring her old icon Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov‘s unsuccessful love story to ease the curiosity of their fans.

Paula Badosa in a recent interview with tennis.com delved deeper into why she chose to end her perfect relationship with former boyfriend Tsitsipas. In Badosa’s words- “When we were great, the relationship was great. Other times, we have our own careers, our own things, and sometimes it’s better to separate ways.” Badosa’s statement came as a shock for their fans who rooted for this couple since last year.

The Spanish WTA star then mentioned Sharapova’s failed romantic relationship with former colleague Grigor Dimitrov. Badosa said- “This reminds me a lot of the story of Maria [Sharapova] and Grigor [Dimitrov], where you meet the right person but maybe in the wrong moment. It’s a little bit like this.” While Badosa’s statement gave fans their much-needed answer, it also intrigued them about why Badosa chose to bring Sharapova’s past life into her equation.

On the other hand, Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov were going strong as a couple after they publicly announced their relationship during the Madrid Open 2013. Intending to keep her private life away from the media, Sharapova told a reporter after losing the Madrid Open 2013 to Serena Williams- “Unfortunately my answer is going to be a lot shorter than your question (Laughter),”. Grigor Dimitrov said about his relationship with Sharapova back then– “I think everyone knows that I don’t really discuss my personal life. We’ve been seeing each other for a while. You know, it’s just news to us that someone took a picture of us now after this time,”

But again, Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov’s love story didn’t get enough chance to bloom, as the former couple ended it in 2015. However,

Sharapova’s response to this breakup somehow surprised her fans. “It was then, at that moment, that the emotional pull I had been fighting came to an end. I knew, and so did he, that I couldn’t be that person at this time of my life, I was supposed to be focused, getting prepared for my own matches, my own triumphs, and defeats, on the largest stage of my career,” Sharapova said.

Badosa’s mention of Sharapova’s breakup showcases that she and Tsitsipas chose to go on different paths to prioritize their career goals. Well, fans expected this answer from Paula Badosa, knowing that she has been idolizing Sharapova since she began her professional journey.

Paula Badosa revealed how comparison with icon Maria Sharapova “bothered” her

Badosa revealed in an interview last year that she idolized Maria Sharapova while growing up. However, after she won the junior French Open tour in 2015, the fraternity started comparing her to her idol, which disturbed the Spanish WTA star. Badosa said- “It bothered me not because they compared me to a legend who played tennis very well and was also very elegant, but it put pressure on me that I was not used to that and I did not know how to manage it,”

While this Spanish WTA star admired the Russian Grand Slam winner, she felt this comparison put too much of a load on her shoulders. Badosa concluded by saying- “Everyone expected me to be top 10 at 18 years old and I was not physically, mentally or tennis ready for it.”

Paula Badosa’s mention of Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov’s breakup to speak about her separation represents the dedication of these tennis players to show their skills and entertain their fans with their tennis brilliance. The way Badosa and Tsitsipas chose to discontinue their relationship surely has impacted their lives for some time. However, fans expect these two great lives ahead in their separate dreams.