Currently, there are many young players on the WTA Tour that are trying to write their name in the history books, and Paula Badosa is one of them.
Only a couple of years ago, Paula Badosa was ranked around the 70th place in the world and had one ITF trophy. Now, the 24-years-old Spaniard won three WTA titles and is number 4 in the WTA Rankings. She succeeded at the 2021 Indian Wells and is trying to keep her spot at the top since then.
19-years-old Emma Raducanu had a similar story as she triumphed at the US Open last year and after these wonderful triumphs, many people expect a lot from the players. Recently, Badosa defended her colleague as she knows how difficult it is to cope with pressure and expectations and today, she wrote a letter for her fans but mostly "for the generations to come". The letter reads:
"I would be lying if I said that winning or losing doesn't matter in elite sport. Sure it matters is that you chase daily, the wins. But it's not everything, or that's what I'm learning in this process. In fact winning is ephemeral, it comes and goes. When you win the next you think is. what's next?"
"You don't even have time to enjoy it as much as you would like to. But in spite of everything we are still after that feeling, that feeling there is nothing that can match it, for me the best feeling in the world. It's addictive, you always want more."
"In all this time I have realized that this is a small part, the victories and defeats are a part of it all. I've realized that what's really valuable is the path you take to get to that end. The day to day, the word, giving 100% you have that day, the nerves before a match, the adrenaline of competing, the small goals you set every morning to improve yourself, eating well, resting, having a wonderful team that helps you to be better daily personally and professionally and to grow with them, the suffering, the challenges, the emotions you live constantly... I think that's the most valuable thing."
"And many times I have not realized how lucky I am to live everything I am living. Experiences that I thoguht I would never live when I started playing this sport, which is what I love to do and for which I give everything."
"Personally it has cost me a lot and I still find it hard to manage and see it this way but I have realized with my own experiences that what is really beautiful in this, the path. I think that in the end, the most important thing is to got to sleep knowing that you have given your maximum that day and that you have improved 1% in something."
"That is the philosophy I believe in and I try to apply myself, sometimes it works out better, sometimes worse, but shat I do have clear is that I will try to live and enjoy this path to the fullest, grateful to be able to do what I like the most, feeling privileged. This is something I wanted to share with you and above all for the generations to come... To all those children. The road..."
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