Paula Badosa has revealed that she was advised by doctors to consider retirement due to her bad back but admits in heart she never thought of quitting.
Following a stellar 2022 campaign when she reached a career best WTA #2 rank, Badosa endured a nightmare 2023 season where she struggled with several injuries including career-threatening back issues. She missed the Australian Open and Roland Garros last year and made her return at Wimbledon to reach the R2 in the Championships before pulling out of the tournament because of back injury.
Badosa continued her resurgence as she entered the second with after a hard fought 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4 victory over #14 seed Russian Daria Kasatkina.
Overwhelmed by the emotion in her post-match address the Spaniard explained: “It’s not my first time in a second week, but I think it’s the most special one. I’m really proud of myself after all. I’ve been struggling a lot with injuries, and it’s been now a long time that I wasn’t in a second week.”
“For me, it meant so much. And also after the match that I played, that I think it was very, very mental, and it was very tough for me.”
Badosa admitted that her back injury was so serious that doctors warned her that she might not able to play as professional anymore.
“I mean, last year here I had to retire. Then it took me 10 months. I was on the couch and watching the tournaments from home,” she said.
“Also this year when I started the year, I didn’t know what was going to happen. Like, the doctors were telling me I couldn’t maybe continue.
“For me, I’ve always been very tough mentally and a fighter, so I was going to do it anyway. So for me, I’m very proud that I’ve been through all of this. And now that I’m again in the fourth round and playing good level again, because sometimes also when I came back at the beginning of the year and struggling so much, my level wasn’t there. I feel myself so far away. Now seeing myself back at it, it means a lot.”
The 26-year-old, however, didn’t accepted her medical team’s assessment in her heart with her willpower looking otherwise.
“Look, at the end of the bottom of my heart, I wasn’t accepting it. I was, like, I’m going to continue no matter what. I think that’s also what made me the player I am, that I always want more, and I’m always going to fight even how difficult is that moment, you know,” she said.
“Of course, there are some moments that there’s pain, and you don’t really know what to do and you a feel a little bit lost. But I didn’t care. I remember telling to my team that I was going to play with pain (laughing).
“At the end we’re managing it really well, so I’m really happy with that. And I think I have a great people by my side and very professional. They’re helping me daily.”