Paula Badosa wasn't able to complete her second-round match at the 2023 Wimbledon, losing to Marta Kostyuk.
Ahead of the third major of the season, the Spanish No. 1 on the WTA Tour struggled with an injury, and for a very long time, it wasn't clear if she'll make it in time. However, in her first match since May, Badosa won comfortably 6-3, 6-3 against Alison Riske-Amritraj, and rushed to see her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas in action.
However, in the second round, she faced a much more difficult opponent. Kostyuk, like her opponent, is one of the highest-ranked unseeded players at the event, and in the first round, she took care of one of the biggest upsets, beating Maria Sakkari in three sets.
The fourth meeting on the WTA Tour between the two was interesting also for other reasons. Badosa and Kostyuk were very good friends in the past, but that didn't seem to be the case the last time they met, with many rumouring that the friendship ended because of the Spaniard's new friendship with Aryna Sabalenka.
But this match was much different than the one in Rome, and it showed the other side of what fans saw at the Italian Open after Badosa recorded her third win in three matches against the Ukrainian.
This time, Kostyuk got off to a fast start as Badosa struggled on her serve and the Ukrainian was able to win the first set 6-2. The Spanish No. 1 then requested a medical time-out, but after playing the first game of the second set, she elected to retire.
With many waiting what's going to happen next, Kostyuk and Badosa surprised fans as the Spaniard approach the Ukrainian, who said that she was sorry about how the match ended. They eventually hugged and the match ended on a positive note, even though it was ended due to a retirement.
Kostyuk will now focus on her third-round match where she will await either the 25th-seeded Madison Keys from the United States or Viktorija Golubic from Switzerland. On the other hand, Badosa will surely appear in the box of her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is set to finish his match against Andy Murray later today.
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