"I was just coming here almost to see Rafa because I'm a huge fan, he was my idol" - Paula Badosa on coming to Roland Garros as a kid to watch Rafael Nadal
Paula Badosa has revealed that she used to come to Roland Garros as a kid only to watch her idol Rafael Nadal.
Reminiscing about her first memories of the Paris Major, Badosa said she was 10 years old when she got to see the 13-time champion in action.
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"Yeah, I was 10. I was just coming here almost to see Rafa, to be honest, because I'm a huge fan. He was my idol. But, yeah, I was seeing all the matches. But to be honest, I'm still a tennis fan, because I have been here a few days ago already, but I love to watch matches," Badosa said during her pre-tournament press conference.
The World No. 3 will launch her bid for a maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros against Fiona Ferro. Asked about the expectations that come with being one of the higher seeds, Badosa, who won the title in Sydney earlier this year, said she has grown accustomed to it.
"Of course expectations have been having from the beginning of the year, because I'm a top-10 player. So you always have that. Of course having expectations and maybe not doing well in that tournament, you feel more pressure," she said.
"Everything is very new, so sometimes I get a little bit scared" - Paula Badosa on learning to manage expectations
Paula Badosa hasn't been in the best of form in the lead-up to Roland Garros, winning only six of her 10 matches on clay. At her last two stops in Madrid and Rome, she lost in the round of 32.
The Spaniard said that she's still trying to learn to deal with the pressure of being a top player.
"It's a tough situation that I'm learning. I just want to, yeah, try to manage as much as I can these kind of things, because everything is very new, so sometimes I get a little bit scared, and I feel that's a little bit big for me.
New WTA Top 10
1. Swiatek
2. Krejcikova
3. Badosa
4. Sakkari
5. Kontaveit
6. Jabeur (+1)
7. Sabalenka (+1)
8. Pliskova (-1)
9. Collins
10. Muguruza
Also the seeding for Roland Garros (if Krejcikova plays...)
Nevertheless, she added that if she manages her emotions better during matches, she can be competitive. That's something she's looking to do over the next two weeks at Roland Garros.
"Sometimes I'm managing it well, so there is a lot of emotions on me right now, and different tournaments," said Paula Badosa. "I think that when I feel free and I feel that calm, of course I will have nerves, but that calm, I play well, and I'm competitive. So that's what I want to find here and try to find here in French Open."