Paula Badosa labels Victoria Azarenka an inspiration on and off the court
Paula Badosa has stated that former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has been an inspiration for her on and off the court.
Badosa won one of the most prestigious titles of her career after beating Azarenka, bagging the 2021 Indian Wells. She edged past her experienced rival in the summit clash 7-6, 2-6, 7-6, in a match that lasted over three hours.
Badosa remains the only Spaniard to win the Indian Wells title in the WTA, a prized possession that the 25-year-old still harks back to for strength and motivation.
In an interview with Marca, Badosa stated that, apart from her achievementa, she looks up to Azarenka for strength and inspiration. She also recollected an incident at the 2021 Indian Wells final to back up her thoughts about the Belarusian's admirable personality.
"It [Indian Wells title] gives me strength, motivates me, and inspires me. For me, she [Azarenka] is an inspiration on and off the track," she said.
"After losing the final, as competitive as she is and with everything she has won in her career, she came up to tell me that my visor was very sweaty and that I should change it because those photos were going to go out all over the world."
Recollecting the moments that followed her victory over Azarenka, Badosa conveyed that she fell to the ground with random thoughts crossing her mind. She was in the process of trying to soak in the gravity of her accomplishment.
"I remember that after winning, I fell to the ground and many things crossed my mind and at the same time, I went blank. It was weird. I was in shock," Badosa added.
Paula Badosa found it difficult to play against her "idol" Victoria Azarenka at Indian Wells 2021 final
Paula Badosa stated that it was not easy for her to play against her "idol" Victoria Azarenka in the Indian Wells final. She also revealed that the memory of her first-ever coach, the late Marcelo Wieliwis, aroused immense sentiment in the minutes following her title win.
"It was difficult playing against my idol [Victoria Azarenka]. The one I did remember was my first coach [Marcelo Wieliwis], who introduced me to tennis and who had passed away two years before. He always believed a lot in me and winning such an important tournament brought me that emotional memory."
Paula Badosa most recently played at the 2023 Charleston Open. She lost to Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 7-6(6) in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Azarenka suffered a third-round exit in the same tournament, falling to Anna Kalinskaya.