'Very Dark Moment': Badosa Opens Up About 'Suffering' Because Of Expectations

Wednesday, 22 May 2024 at 22:07

byZachary Wimer

Many people expected a lot out of Paula Badosa after her breakout, and it put her in a difficult position that deeply affected her.

Badosa has never been a player who shied away from talking about difficult topics. She was quite open about her struggles with mental health, and in a recent interview, the Spaniard opened up about expectations and how they affected her.

A few years ago, a fairly young Badosa broke through on the WTA Tour with some notable results. A lot of people started to expect a lot from her, and it really affected her.

The pressure and the lack of results that coincided with her injury struggles all left a mark on her, and she admitted that she was in a pretty dark moment.

"There were a lot of expectations on me, especially in Spain, where I was expected to be the next Top 10, the next star, but I was not mentally prepared to face all that."

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"I suffered a lot for two years, I remember that I was in a very dark moment in which I did not see the light. Thanks to that, I am the person I am today, the fighter that I am, that made me stronger."

Things aren't any easier for Badosa right now than they were a couple of years ago becauses he is still dealing with challenges. The challenge is different for her because she's mostly struggling with her body.

She has a chronic back issue that will affect her career as long as she plays, and she's figuring out how to manage it. It's been better in recent weeks, but it certainly weighs on her heavily, and she talked about it a few times recently.

"I always give my 100% on the court, and that is what I want to show the whole world, that no matter how I play that day, I am going to fight until the end."