Paula Badosa says she will take Aryna Sabalenka for a car ride if she wins Stuttgart title
Paula Badosa has stated that she will take Aryna Sabalenka for a ride in her new Porsche if she wins the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Badosa recently competed at the Charleston Open, where she made the quarterfinals on the back of impressive wins over Mayar Sherif, Leylah Fernandez and Diana Shnaider. The Spaniard was eventually ousted by top seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, losing 6-3, 7-6(6).
Badosa will now take part in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Ahead of the tournament, the Spaniard engaged in a fun Q&A session with fans on Instagram.
On being asked who she would take for a ride in the champion's Porsche if she won the title, Badosa replied:
"I would choose Aryna Sabalenka. I think it would be fun."
The pair share an extremely close friendship, with Sabalenka once stating that Badosa was like a soulmate to her.
"I would say she [Badosa] is like my soulmate on the tour," Sabalenka said during a press conference at the 2022 US Open. "I found that she's pretty similar to me, we have the same character and reactions to things."
During the Q&A session, Paula Badosa also divulged a few fun facts about herself, saying:
"Well, I laugh very easily and I dance. I think that's a fun fact."
Describing her off-court personality, the Spaniard stated that she is "very fun" and "very active."
"Very fun, yeah, I'm very fun. I'm very active, I like to do different things and I cannot stop and sit down like that," the 25-year-old said.
Paula Badosa to face Daria Kasatkina in Porsche Tennis Grand Prix R1
Paula Badosa will commence her campaign at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Tuesday (April 18) by taking on seventh seed Daria Kasatkina in the first round. This will be their fourth meeting on the WTA tour, with Kasatkina currently leading the head-to-head 2-1.
The duo squared off for the first time in the semifinals of the 2022 Sydney International, where Badosa registered a comfortable straight-sets win. However, Kasatkina has emerged victorious in their last two meetings - at the 2022 Italian Open and the 2022 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.
The Russian is coming off the back of an impressive run at the Charleston Open, where she lost to eventual champion Ons Jabeur in the semifinals.