Paula Badosa is enjoying her best run since dealing with her chronic back injury, and it's a great moment for a player who seriously contemplated stopping.
Injuries are a constant in tennis, but not all players experience them the same way. Some players deal with more injuries than others, and in Badosa's case, the severity of the injury is what makes her stand out.
It was a bad injury that kept her away from the sport for a very long time. What's even worse is that it's chronic, which means she'll have to manage it one way or another for the rest of her career.
At times, her career looked in serious danger, and it wasn't that long ago that Badosa thought about whether stopping was one of her outcomes.
After winning a hard-fought battle against Elena-Gabriela Ruse to secure the fourth round of the 2024 US Open, Badosa detailed some of her low points, which had her seriously consider whether stopping was a reality she would have to face.
"Yeah, I mean, the low point for me was at the middle of the season. It was really bad. Coming from the injury in the beginning you never know what to expect."
"At the beginning of the season I was okay, but after all seeing that I was struggling also with my back, it wasn't responding well. My results weren't what I was expecting in that moment. So it was really bad."
"There was moments, especially after Madrid, that I didn't know what to do. In my mind I was thinking, like, maybe I should quit because if I'm not in the highest level, I don't want to play this sport."sport.
"I don't want to be in the ranking I was in that moment. For me it doesn't make sense. That's how I am as my personality. So if I'm not on the top or in the best players in the world, I don't want to play this"
Ultimately, the Spaniard opted to continue and fight for her career, which has proven to be the right decision in recent weeks. She made the final in Washington and won the trophy, which was a hugely emotional moment for her.
It was the moment she was hoping to reach when she battled those intrusive thoughts. Badosa credits being patient and trusting the process for her return to a highly competitive level.
At first, it looked bleak, but the more she stuck with it, the better she felt. This week, the end product is being demonstrated.
"In that moment I was playing really bad, and I wasn't finding the solution, but I had no other option than to be with my team, stick with them, trust the process as we say. I think the process was good. I was working well, but I just needed time and patience."
"Also, I needed my back to respond. It came all after I think after the clay court season, before the grass. I started to feel better. You know, you slowly win matches. You start to believe in yourself."
"The most important, that my back was responding really well. After that I think I lost very close matches there, but the level was there. Well, finally here in the U.S. swing I could prove it. I think all my work paid off."
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