"Revoke this guy's credential" - Serena Williams' ex-coach slams Wimbledon journalist for ignorance regarding Paula Badosa's 2R defeat
Paula Badosa's post-match press conference at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships witnessed a shocking moment when a journalist was caught unaware that the the Spaniard had retired from her second round match due to injury.
Prior to the grass court Major, Badosa had been forced to pull out of the 2023 French Open due to a spinal stress fracture. The 25-year-old made her return to the court at SW19 and started her campaign off on a strong note with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Alison Riske-Amritraj before facing Marta Kostyuk in the second round. The former World No. 2 was trailing 2-6, 0-1 against the Ukranian when she was forced to retire from the match with a back injury.
During her post-match press conference, a journalist congratulated the Spaniard on her win and went on to ask her about her "confidence level and fitness" after having missed matches due to her injury.
Paula Badosa immediately corrected the journalist and told him that she had lost the match.
"For your information, I just lost, I didn't win," she said.
The moderator also intervened and clarify to the journalist that Badosa had indeed lost the match.
Badosa then responded to the second part of the journalist's question, disclosing that she was feeling far from her best.
"Well, I'm not feeling at my best form. I just retired, so I wish I could feel better," Paula Badosa said.
Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs reacted to a clip of the incident on social media and expressed her displeasure at the journalistic standards on display. She called for the journalist in question to have his credentials revoked.
"Revoke this guys credential!! I’m so tired of bad tennis journalism!!!! SO Tired!" Stubbs tweeted.
Revoke this guys credential!! I’m so tired of bad tennis journalism!!!! SO Tired! twitter.com/some1namedryan…
"No, I won't be able" - Paula Badosa on playing mixed doubles with boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon 2023
Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas' decision to team up for the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon 2023 garnered much interest in the tennis world. However, the partnership came to an end before it began as Badosa revealed that she would no longer be able to compete alongside Tsitsipas.
"No, no, I won't be able. The injury is the same as I have been struggling the past weeks. It's the stress fracture," Badosa said.
The former World No. 2 stated that despite her best efforts to compete at SW19, she woke up in pain after her first-round win. She acknowledged the need to assess her condition with her team in order to ascertain her plans for the coming weeks.
"I tried my best to try to play here, but yesterday when I woke up I already, after my first-round match, felt it again. It's a little bit worse. So I will need a few days off and talk to my team and see what I do in the next days and the next weeks," she added.
Following her exit from the grasscourt Major, Paula Badosa was spotted cheering on Stefanos Tsitsipas during his hard fought 7-6(3), 6-7(2), 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 win over Andy Murray in the second round.