Watch: Stefanos Tsitsipas attends girlfriend Paula Badosa's Qatar Open 1R clash, encourages Spaniard from the stands
Stefanos Tsitsipas was seen in Paula Badosa's box as the Spaniard faced Ashlyn Krueger in her first-round match at the Qatar Open on Sunday (February 11).
Tsitsipas joined Badosa in Dubai, where she was training before heading to Qatar. For WTA World No. 79 Badosa, 2024 has been a mixed bag so far. She kickstarted the new season at the Australian Open after enduring an injury-ravaged 2023.
The former World No. 2 produced flashes of brilliance during her Australian Open run. She comfortably dispatched Taylor Townsend 6-1, 6-3 and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-3 as she sailed into the third round. However, her Australian Open run came to an end in the third round itself as she lost to Amanda Anisimova 5-7, 4-6.
The Spaniard headed to Thailand next, where she took part in the Hua Hin Championships. She got off to a shaky start against Lanlana Tararudee, but recovered to win the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. However, during her next match against Diana Shnaider, injury struck Badosa once again as she retired mid-match with back inflammation.
Badosa's injury forced her to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi Open, where she was slated to play Anhelina Kalinina. However, after successfully recovering from her latest injury setback, Badosa faced Ashlyn Krueger at the Qatar Open. Cameras captured Badosa's boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas in her box, cheering her on.
The first-round match between Badosa and Krueger was suspended due to rain with the former leading 6-3, 4-6, 4-2. The match is scheduled to resume on Monday (February 12).
Stefanos Tsitsipas gifted Paula Badosa a bouquet of flowers in Dubai
Despite Paula Badosa's withdrawal from the Abu Dhabi Open, she continued training in Dubai as she aimed to recover in time for the Qatar Open. In recent times, the Rackets Academy, housed in Dubai's Atlantis the Royal, has become popular among the likes of Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka, and Novak Djokovic for training purposes.
Badosa had trained there during the off-season and returned to train for the Qatar Open as well. Stefanos Tsitsipas also made his way to Dubai to spend time with her. He gifted the Spaniard a bouquet of flowers as well, which featured the romantic message 'I'm thinking of you every second'. Badosa was also seen holding a teddy bear.
Tsitsipas has himself started the 2024 season somewhat unconvincingly. The 25-year-old featured in the Australian Open, but couldn't go beyond the fourth round, where he came up against Taylor Fritz. Tsitsipas fought hard, but on the day, Fritz proved too difficult to deal with.
Ultimately, Fritz downed Tsitsipas 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. The Greek also featured in doubles alongside brother Petros, but the duo crashed out in the first round, losing 5-7, 5-7 to Daniel Altmaier and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela.