Paula Badosa has opened up about her struggles with a chronic back injury and considers retired WTA star Maria Sharapova as her mentor outside tennis.
Badosa is a former junior World No. 8 and winner of the 2014 French Open junior title. She was destined for a successful career at the senior level. In 2021, she became the first Spanish woman and wild card to reach the Madrid Open semifinal.
That same season, Badosa's breakthrough was complete when she defeated two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka to win the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells. For the first time in her career, she qualified for the WTA Finals, where she reached the semifinal stage.
Badosa's consistency became the hallmark of the first half of the 2022 season. She won her third WTA title in Sydney and reached the quarterfinal or better in four tournaments. She attained a career-high ranking of World No. 2.
But the injuries struck at the height of powers. There were four documented retirements in 2022, and the situation became worse in 2023. She withdrew from the Australian Open due to an adductor injury, and the most debilitating of her injuries surfaced during last year's clay swing.
Badosa suffered a stress fracture in her back, forcing her to pull out of Roland Garros. Although she returned in time for Wimbledon, Badosa only exacerbated the pain and retired from her second-round match at the All England Club, and she could not play again for the remainder of the season.
The Spaniard's ranking has tanked to its lowest position since 2019 in May 2024, but she's relieved to overcome the injury turmoil. Recently, she was featured in Elle Spain Magazine, where she reflected on her chronic back injury but expressed her determination to rekindle her career.
"When I'm well, I want to be as high as possible again. Of course, I'm not happy where I am now. I'm not going to fool myself. I do know where I come from and everything I'm going through."
A few months ago, Badosa revealed that doctors told her the back injury was untreatable. She is learning to manage it on a day-to-day basis. She hopes to play for as long as the injury allows her.
"In a crude way, I've had a broken back. The process was delicate and there were weeks when I couldn't do anything.. So as long as the injury allows me, because it's chronic, I intend to keep playing as many years as I can."
In the same interview, the 26-year-old, who has re-entered the Top 100 after a productive grass-court season in 2024, lauded former WTA World No. 1 as her inspiration and mentor outside tennis and wants to emulate the Russian's off-court success.
Although Sharapova was one of the most tenacious competitors in tennis history, and her resilience was definitely her biggest asset in battling chronic shoulder injuries, she's also one of the very few former players who has transitioned to become a successful businesswoman in her second phase of life.
"Of course. And it's a way of opening the door to new canons of beauty. There is no single body stereotype. For me, being an example in that respect is crucial. It's inspiring when I see an athlete who is something more."
"I'm guided by Maria Sharapova. She has made a very good transition from the track to business, and that's something I would love to achieve when I retire. She's a mentor, an ambassador for many brands, she shares life experiences."
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