"I don't know how to say it, I'm not Rafa Nadal nor am I going to be" - Paula Badosa after 4R loss at Wimbledon
Paula Badosa, one of the premier players on the women's side of the sport, has had a consistent year thus far. The Spanish national came into Wimbledon this year with expectations of a deep run. Unfortunately, she faltered against Simona Halep in the fourth round in straight sets.
In her post-match press conference, Badosa spoke about how the demands and expectations of people become heavy on the player.
"There is a lot of demand from the people. You're in the second week and now they're wondering why you don't win. And if you lose in the first week, he wonders why you don't make it to the second. I don't know how to say it... I'm not Rafa Nadal nor am I going to be," Badosa said.
She also spoke about how Spain's history of producing great tennis players is unfair to the current generation of players as they are expected to consistently compete for the biggest titles.
"We have become a little unaccustomed in Spain because of the great players we have had. Hopefully one day I can do something half similar, but I would like it to be demanded a little less," Badosa concluded.
Paula Badosa reclama menos presión: "No soy Rafa Nadal ni lo voy a ser..." https://t.co/WM5LvrnLz2
Paula Badosa's Wimbledon 2022 campaign: A recap
Coming into the tournament as the number four seed, Paula Badosa was expected to go deep into the second week of Wimbledon this year. Despite not being able to replicate her form from earlier in the year in the claycourt season, Badosa's game on grass was supposed to be a big threat to others.
After dropping just eight games in the opening two matches of the tournament, Badosa played like a strong favorite. She went up against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the third round and put forth a solid display that saw her emerge victorious in straight sets.
Special Simona 💪
Our 2019 champion defeats Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/yux7UnL9Ro
Coming into the fourth-round matchup against Simona Halep, Badosa was still the favorite to progress into the quarterfinals as Halep had still not hit the levels she is capable of.
However, Badosa was steamrolled by Halep in straight sets. The Spanish national won just three games in the entire match as the former World No. 1 hit bludgeoning groundstrokes.
Either way, this was a disappointing end to Paula Badosa's grass court season and she will now turn her attention towards the hardcourts once again.