Paula Badosa: "You lose every week unless you're Rafael Nadal"
Paula Badosa believes that tennis players are bound to lose every week "unless they are Rafael Nadal" and hence should learn to deal with defeats accordingly.
Badosa is currently competing at the Madrid Open, her eighth tournament of the season. Despite some deep runs here and there, the Spaniard has faced some criticism for her inconsistent performances from the media.
Badosa, however, believes that losses are just a part of the process of getting up, adding that they should not be misinterpreted for "failures." During a press conference at the Madrid Open, she joked that all players are bound to endure losses weekly unless they are Nadal.
"For me failure does not exist. In the end, the one who highlights the failures a lot is more than anything the press because athletes understand the sport very well. And in tennis we understand that you lose every week, unless you're Rafa Nadal," she opined.
"For example, last week I lost a match, but I try to take the positive things out so that I can do better the next week. Life is like that and not just sports, falling and getting up continuously. The word failure should not exist because it is very negative," Badosa added.
Badosa has always been a huge admirer of Nadal. In a recent interview with Eurosport, she claimed that she considers the 22-time Grand Slam champion her "reference point."
"Rafa is the reference point for me. He is a worker, a fighter and has a great mentality," she said. "I admire him more and more. He has always been an example that I have looked at when I have faced difficult moments and if I want to emulate someone, it is him."
Badosa commenced her Madrid campaign with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 second-round win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto on Thursday, April 27. She will next face sixth seed Coco Gauff in the third round on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal keeps 2023 French Open hopes alive, shares pictures of training on clay
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has continued to train on clay, giving massive hope to fans of his participation at the 2023 French Open. Taking to social media on Wednesday, April 26, the Spaniard shared a picture of himself training on the claycourts at his tennis academy.
With recovery still in progress, the Spaniard recently announced his withdrawal from the Madrid Open. While the initial diagnosis only predicted a 6-8 week injury layoff, the recovery period has already entered week 14.
Nadal's most recent outing this season came at the Australian Open, where he secured a four-set win over Jack Draper, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, before heavily falling to Mackenzie McDonald (6-4, 6-4, 7-5) in the second round.