The US Open can be played in brutal conditions, which was the case when Paula Badosa took to the court and faced a tough time with the conditions.
Badosa is from Spain, a country known for its hot and dry climate. However, high humidity is rare there, while the US Open is famous for it, especially when the tournament organizers close the roof, as they did in her third-round match.
This created lots of problems for Badosa, particularly. It got really warm on the court and very humid, causing plenty of problems. It’s often said that dry heat isn’t as bad as humid heat, and this seems to be true.
Badosa certainly struggled with the conditions, even though not with her tennis. She faced Yafan Wang and won easily, 6-1, 6-2. The Spaniard even appeared to be in a rush, given how aggressive she was with some of her points.
She generally plays very aggressively, but this was a step above that, and her opponent couldn’t really cope. It was a swift two-set win, and Badosa was very happy.
Still, she was not enjoying herself on the court, admitting after the match that she thought she would die, which is a drastic way to describe the conditions, but it’s not the first time a player has said it on the tennis court.
"It was a battle and I remember seeing the minutes. I’m like, it’s only two games in 17 and it’s so humid. I thought I was going to die here today, but I knew it was going to be worth it."
"I remember thinking, okay, she’s tough, but I’m tougher. And if she and I have to stay here for three hours, I will. I knew I had to step in and go for it, and it worked really well."
The humidity at one point hit 85%, which is absurd but not unheard of when it comes to New York. We’ve also seen this in previous years, particularly in one match between Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev, which was played in crazy conditions.
Both players suffered greatly in that match, with Medvedev complaining to the umpire that it was unhealthy. It certainly was that way, but not much could be done.
The event organizers have installed huge fans above the stands to try to help with the heat and humidity, but once the roof is closed, it becomes like a pressure cooker.
Still, Badosa was happy to have figured it out and won. It’s her first US Open quarter-final and her best result at the Grand Slam level since 2021. Having struggled as much as she did with her injury in the past, the Spaniard is glad to experience this because she didn’t think it would ever happen again.
"Last year I was here I had to withdraw. I couldn’t play in the tournament. So for me, it was really sad. Being back here a year after with my best result in a slam, it’s a dream come true."
"I said in interviews a few months ago, I was thinking of quitting this sport because I stopped believing in myself and my injury wasn’t responding. So being back as one of the best players in the world, it’s a dream come true."
She admitted recently that she was seriously thinking about ending her tennis career earlier this year around May, but she stuck to her plan and is now reaping the benefits of her hard work and patience.
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