Badosa Declares Herself '80 Per Cent Fit' After Making Tennis Return In Abu Dhabi
WTA
Paula Badosa is getting ready to rejoin the tour next month and has been steadily finding form and sharpening her arsenal at the World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi.
The former World No. 2 had been in a constant period of distress while playing on the tour, battling a thigh injury in the first half of last season before she sustained a serious stress fracture to her spine that put her on the shelf for almost five months.
Badosa aggravated the injury at the Italian Open, her best achievement of the season in reaching the last eight. But sadly, it had immense ramifications on her upcoming tournament, the French Open.
The Spaniard was forced to pull out from the clay Slam and never played a warm-up tournament in the build-up to Wimbledon, hoping the injury would heal with plenty of rest time. That wasn't the case because she retired from her second-round match at SW19 and did not pay again on tour in 2023.
Knowing the severity of the injury, Badosa chose to prioritize her health in the long term. So, on the eve of the US Open, she shut down her season, wiping off the remainder of the second half of 2023. At that time, Badosa frequented most of her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas's matches.
She was also putting in the hard yards in training. Badosa recovered in record time and was even nominated in Spain's Billie Jean King Cup Finals squad last month, even though she did not feature.
This week, the 26-year-old has been back on the tennis court where she played mixed doubles with Tsitsipas at the World Tennis League to try and ease her body into the demands of competition.
Speaking to Gulf News, Badosa admits she is feeling "good" and is already setting her sights on the brand-new season, which begins next weekend.
"It’s been tough months for me and after struggling a lot, I am finally I am on court and I can say I’m healthy, I’m feeling good and really looking forward to next year. I’m getting there. I think I’m 80 per cent fit but it’s already a big improvement because a month ago I wasn’t able to step on a court. I think I’m getting there."
Due to her injury, Badosa will start her season ranked outside the world's Top 50. For her, the central focus will be to stay healthy before anything, and eventually, she will build on her ranking status.
"Yes, I dropped out of the top 50, but it was something that I couldn’t control because it’s an injury. I will try to avoid as much as I can. My goals for the new season is to stay healthy, that’s the most important one, and, of course, I want to get back to the top and be with the best players in the world."
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