Paula Badosa endured a lot of heartbreak in recent months due to her chronic back injury, but after lifting the 2024 Citi Open trophy, the Spaniard felt relieved.
Badosa has been dealing with a chronic back injury for a while now, and it's been challenging for the Spaniard to continue playing at a high level. Not only will she have to deal with it for the rest of her career, but it destroyed what seemed like a career that was destined for greatness.
She was the number two player on the WTA Tour at one point in her tennis career, with a Grand Slam-winning potential in store for her. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem likely now.
Just a year ago, Badosa was not playing and was literally on her couch. One year later, she found herself in the Citi Open final. The Spaniard outplayed Marie Bouzkova to win the WTA 500 trophy, which is significant in many ways.
Not only is it a reward for all the hard work she put into finding herself back on the courts, but it's also proof that if she works hard enough, she can be competitive again.
Of course, luck will play a factor because her body needs to cooperate, but it was just a hugely emotional experience for the Spaniard, who had no reason to smile lately.
One thing she mentioned after winning the trophy was the support she has had, dealing with these injuries, crediting her family and boyfriend Stefanos Tstisipas as the person who helped her stay sane during the problems.
"Yeah, it's the first thing I did on court. I called my family and Stefanos, of course, because I know they're always there for me. They've been in the tough moments. They've seen me very, very down this last year."
The relationship with Tsitsipas is certainly something that helps her push through, as the Greek player knows the problems that she, as an athlete and a tennis player, has to go through.
They recently broke up and got back together, and many started to question their relationship, but the couple was happy to clarify that they are happy together. The fact that Badosa mentions Tsitsipas as a crucial person in helping her get through her injury problems only confirms that.
"I wanted to live the moments with them because of course without them I wouldn't be here because they support me every day, 24/7. There was moments that I didn't know what to do with my career. They were there. One year ago I was on the couch, so it's a big difference now. Now I'm an athlete again."
While this recent success is hugely exciting for Badosa, there are still many question marks surrounding her career. The back injury can flare up at any moment, and that's problematic.
The hope is that she can manage it as best as possible, but ultimately, there will never be a guarantee that she will be able to keep playing tennis. She will just have to take it day by day and cherish the moments like this triumph as much as possible.
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