Paula Badosa opens up about double standards between male and female tennis players
WTA
Paula Badosa talked about some of the double standards when it comes to male and female tennis players.
After Badosa started the 2021 season as the WTA World No. 70 player, her career skyrocketed last year, especially after her win at the Indian Wells Open.
The 24-year-old Spaniard won 40 matches last year. That was enough to collect two titles and finish the year as the No. 8 player. This year, she added 30 more victories and another WTA title.
Currently, Badosa is the third highest-ranked woman in the world. However, also during the 2022 season, which can be considered a success, she had periods when she lost up to three matches in a row.
In her interview with El Larguero, Badosa opened up about how losing streaks and bad periods are more accepted among men, while female tennis players are more criticized.
"Yes, it [criticism] came to me as a crisis. I've always been very demanding, but being very emotional and visceral has made it very difficult for me to deal with those things."
Unfortunately, Badosa also admitted that she received threats after losing matches. While she's aware that it's not because of her doing something wrong, receiving threats must be an unpleasant experience for the Spaniard regardless.
"There are also threats. In the end, you don't have to pay attention. There are people who are not balanced, they are the ones who have the problem."
Badosa revealed that the view that women are more inconsistent doesn't influence her only when it comes to criticism from fans but also in business deals.
"I think that on the female side, it is more complicated because the critics say that you are unfocused. Or if you have some marketing agreement, they tell you that you do not perform in tennis."
"I don't see that so much on the male side. And there is a part which is more tabloids than sports media. That's why I've taken a step back with that."
