"A difficult time for not just Paula Badosa, but me as well" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on supporting his girlfriend through 'frustrating' injury setbacks
Stefanos Tsitsipas has spoken up about supporting girlfriend Paula Badosa as she continues to be plagued by injury.
Badosa suffered a spinal stress fracture at the 2023 Italian Open, which eventually ruled her out for the rest of the season. The Spaniard recovered in time for the start of the 2024 season and made her comeback at Adelaide International. She also remained injury-free at the Australian Open.
However, her injury woes troubled her at the Hua Hin Championships, which forced her to sit out the Abu Dhabi Open as well. Badosa returned to the Qatar Open but retired from her first match at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The Spaniard looked set to play at the Indian Wells Masters after appearing fit and healthy during the pre-tournament Eisenhower Cup. However, it wasn't to be, as the wildcard withdrew from the WTA 1000 event.
Badosa's boyfriend, Stefanos Tsitsipas, during a press conference at Indian Wells, was asked about his feelings on Badosa's persistent injury troubles. He responded by saying that Badosa's difficulties bother him as well.
"It does create a difficult time for not just Paula but me, as well, having to be there and keep pushing her to kind of get well and jump back on the court. She's kind of been in and out. The most frustrating part about all of this is that she did play a few matches, and then she didn't feel that well again, so it has been a tricky time for both of us."
Despite Badosa's difficulties, Stefanos Tsitsipas marches on at Indian Wells
Tsitsipas isn't allowing Badosa's injury struggles to hamper his on-court performances. The Greek was clinical in his Round of 32 Indian Wells encounter against Frances Tiafoe.
The eleventh seed used his serve to great effect, and Tiafoe couldn't live with it. The Greek fired 11 aces and stormed to a 6-3, 6-3 win. The result also helped Tsitsipas to even things up in his head-to-head record against the American. He has now played Tiafoe six times on the ATP Tour, winning thrice and losing thrice.
After the match, the ATP World No. 11 briefly reflected on his stellar serve that helped him dominate Tiafoe.
"Of course he was going to fight back at some point and present a more difficult challenge for me in the second set, and I fought back. I held serve, and I stayed really, like, committed to what I was doing. Definitely served big on those moments to kind of keep the lead, and had a great sense of concentration and fighting spirit from the very first point till the end."
Tsitsipas will face thirty-second seed Jiri Lehecka in the Round of 16. Lehecka stunned fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4.