Paula Badosa will not start her clay court season at the 2025 Charleston Open after withdrawing from the tournament in South Carolina.
The Spaniard's last match was in the third round of the ongoing 2025 Miami Open against Clara Tauson. Despite winning that contest in straight sets, Badosa struggled with a lower back injury throughout it.
Last year's Citi Open champion has been plagued by lower back problems since missing all tournaments after Wimbledon in 2023 because of a severe injury she sustained in that area.
Badosa returned at the start of 2024, but her lower back complaints persisted for a few months afterward. The 27-year-old recently recounted how she considered quitting the sport when the problem was not improving.
After an improved period of fitness that included reaching the 2025 Australian Open and 2024 China Open semifinals, Badosa hurt her back again at the 2025 Merida Open, meaning she had to withdraw from the 2025 Indian Wells Open.
Badosa might regret the decision to compete in Miami and not give herself more recovery time after she withdrew from the tournament before the round of 16 because of the pain she experienced against Tauson.
Rather than wait and see if she can play in Charleston, which begins on Monday, Badosa announced her withdrawal from the WTA 500 event in a brief statement released on the tournament's social media pages.
"I'm very sorry I can't make it this year. I have very good memories from this amazing tournament. See you next year."
Badosa competed in Charleston last year, but could not have gotten a worse draw. She lost in the opening round to Danielle Collins, who won 13 consecutive matches at last year's Miami Open and Charleston Open to win both titles.
The four-time WTA titlist is formidable on any surface, but her win percentage of 68% on clay is better than on grass or hard courts. She could have been a title contender at the Charleston Open had she been fit.
Although Badosa's withdrawal will disappoint many fans, it is entirely understandable. The European clay court season does not start until April 14th, and there is a week of Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers before that, which she did not plan to compete in.
Therefore, returning to Spain and giving herself a few weeks to heal before the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Badosa's next scheduled tournament, makes sense. She has almost three weeks to get fit for that event.
Many other top players are on the Charleston Open entry list, including 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys, defending champion Collins, Jessica Pegula, Qinwen Zheng, and Emma Navarro.
The Charleston Open is always one of the best tournaments each year on the WTA Tour because of the superb crowds it attracts. Fans in Charleston are known for being excitable while remaining respectful to the players by not heckling or engaging in other distracting behavior.
Many also love the unique green clay on which it is played, which is quicker than most of the red clay courts at other events on the ATP and WTA Tours.
