"I am not happy where I am now"- Paula Badosa, despite 'broken' back, vows to continue playing tennis as long as chronic injury allows
Paula Badosa suffers from a chronic back problem and believes she is not where she wants to be with her level of tennis. But the Spaniard is determined to continue to play on for as long as her injury allows her.
Badosa broke onto the scene as a promising talent in 2015, winning the French Open junior title. It took her four years from there to reach the Top 100 in women's singles but her rise continued. In 2021, she earned her biggest title, the WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells. Further, she qualified for the 2021 WTA Finals and reached the semifinals.
In 2022, she won her third career title and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2. However, injury problems started to plague her and she ended the season as World No. 13.
In 2023, Badosa withdrew from the Australian Open due to an adductor injury. The worst of her injuries came before the 2023 French Open. She suffered a stress fracture in the L4 vertebrae. The Spaniard returned to play at Wimbledon that year, but retired in her second-round match and called an end to her season.
In 2024, she fell out of the top 100 before regaining fitness and playing at multiple tournaments. Most recently, Badosa reached the Round of 16 at Wimbledon and is currently ranked at World No. 65.
The 26-year-old recently featured on the Elle Spain Magazine, where she revealed details of her career and life.
"When I'm well, I want to be as high as possible again. Of course, I'm not happy where I am now. I'm not going to fool myself. I do know where I come from and everything I'm going through," Paula Badosa told Elle.
She opened up about her injury being 'chronic'. However, she wants to continue playing for as long as possible.
"In a crude way, I've had a broken back. The process was delicate and there were weeks when I couldn't do anything.. So as long as the injury allows me, because it's chronic, I intend to keep playing as many years as I can," she added.
Paula Badosa continues to play tennis for her love of the sport and her goal to be one of the best
Paula Badosa had to retire from the Dubai Tennis Championships and withdraw from the Indian Wells this year due to injury. After reviewing her scans in March, she said the doctors at Indian Wells described her future as 'complicated'.
"In Indian Wells, the doctors told me it would be very complicated to continue my career," Paula Badosa said on the WTA Insider Podcast.
However, the Spaniard's love for the sport and desire to be the best continues to drive her forward.
"I think what's making me fight every day is the love that I have for this sport. I always had this goal to be one of the best in the world and to win tournaments and face the big players. That's why I'm here."
Badosa believes three or four more years of playing on tour for her would be 'amazing'.