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Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Girlfriend Paula Badosa Provides Saddening Health Update After Being Forced To Retire Against Aryna Sabalenka

Published 04/18/2024, 10:28 PM EDT

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Spanish WTA star Paula Badosa has another disappointing news for her fans. The WTA player couldn’t make her luck at the ongoing Stuttgart Open. Badosa faced off against her “soulmate” Aryna Sabalenka to fight for entry into the quarterfinals. However, in an unexpected ending, the Spanish tennis star was forced to retire after suffering a left leg injury. After that ill-fated match, Badosa finally shared her plans for the future and how much she is “going to try everything to get on track”. 

A reliable tennis fan recently shared a screenshot of Paula Badosa’s Instagram Story on their X (formerly Twitter). The Spanish WTA star wrote- “Hello everyone, first of all, thank you for all the support received. These are not easy times for me. Today’s medical tests revealed a small tear in the abductor. We are going to work with my entire team to be able to play in Madrid. You know how special it is for me to play at home in front of all of you. I’m going to try everything to get on that track and be able to enjoy it all together again.”

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On Stuttgart’s Centre Court, Sabalenka and Badosa clashed for a third straight year. Like the previous two times, the Belarusian got the better of the Spaniard, albeit under unfortunate circumstances.

Badosa was trailing against Sabalenka, losing the first set 7-6. Then the Spanish tennis player made an impressive comeback, winning the second set 6-4. In the third set, when the game was tied at 3-3, misfortune struck Badosa. With an injured left thigh, she was forced to retire. The disappointed Spanish tennis player cried as she held her friend and on-court opponent Sabalenka in an embrace after the former was unable to continue.

The abrupt ending of the match disappointed Sabalenka too. After the match, the reigning Australian Open winner said” I am actually about to cry, to be honest. Feel so bad for her…..I don’t have any emotions right now. I am not happy. I am not sad. I just want to say thank you to the people who stayed till the end.” 

Badosa’s injury woes don’t seem to end.  She was sidelined for the latter half of the 2023 season due to a stress fracture in her lower back. After securing a career-high rank of No. 2 in 2022, her WTA journey has been marred with multiple injuries to the calf, adductor, and lower back. Interestingly, the 93rd-ranked player had to retire from matches twice in 2024 already due to injuries- firstly, in the round of 16 in the Thailand Open, then, in the Round of 64 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. It remains to be seen for how long Badosa remains out of action owing to her current injury.

The sudden end to the Badosa-Sabalenka clash must have disappointed the tennis fans. But, did you know that before the clash, Badosa’s boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas was stunned when the draw list was declared?

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 Stefanos Tsitsipas’ “crazy” reaction to girlfriend drawing up against Sabalenka yet again!

After the Stuttgart Open’s match draw list was declared, Tsitsipas said during an interview with a prominent tennis channel– “No way, is that happening again? There you go. Again with Sabalenka? That’s crazy!”

Before the Stuttgart Open clash, both WTA tennis stars had clashed against each other five times, with Sabalenka leading the tie.

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The Greek player also mentioned the great bond that Badosa and Sabalenka shared. He  commented- “Hey spend a lot of time together, not just on the court but off it too. I’ve been catching up with them lately, and the banter they share is great. It’s not something you see every day in the world of tennis.” 

Badosa’s injury will sideline her from the court for some time. Nevertheless, fans wish her a speedy recovery so that she can be back on the WTA tour once again.

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Written by:

Upasana Banerjee

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Upasana Banerjee is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. Specializing in major trends within the tennis world, Upasana's keen eye captures newsworthy moments in the world of sports. Her adept information mining makes her a go-to source for insights into players' lives.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha