Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her first-round match at the 2024 Dubai Championships against the world no. 181, Lulu Sun.
The Spanish player doesn't seem to be able to catch a break. When Badosa played over the past 12 months, she looked solid, the problem is, that she hasn't played a lot.
Various injuries have kept the 26-year-old out of play, and it's clear that she desperately wants to spend some time on the tennis court, attempting to play the WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
Those came only shortly after she was forced to retire from her match at the Thailand Open in Hua Hin, and after she subsequently withdrew from the Abu Dhabi Open.
However, the Spaniard still played at the Qatar Open, and she even won in her opening match. But in the second match, Leylah Fernandez proved to be better, and beat her in three sets.
Determined to succeed, Badosa signed up for the 2024 Dubai Championships, and in the opening round, she drew a very beatable opponent, world no. 181, Lulu Sun, who received a main draw wild card.
But Badosa struggled since the match started. She faced break points in multiple games, and she was eventually broken in the fifth game, giving Sun a 3-2 lead.
The Spanish player than had a break back point, but after she couldn't use it, the Swiss player had no problems to cruise towards the finish line, saving one more break point in the process, and winning the first set 6-4.
After the set, Badosa requested medical assistance, as she sat with tears in her eyes, knowing the she likely wouldn't be able to continue. Soon after that, she told the umpire and her opponent that she couldn't continue, retiring from yet another match in what was a tearful exit.
Hopefully for Badosa, things will get better in the coming months, because she has shown multiple times that when she's healthy, she can beat anyone.
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