The 2021 Mutua Madrid Open continues to unveil the stars who will appear in the Caja Mágica as wild cards, from 27 April to 9 May. The WTA 1000 tournament will now include Paula Badosa after she received an invitation to the final draw from the organisers on Wednesday.

“I’m very grateful to the Mutua Madrid Open for the invitation. Having the opportunity to compete in Spain is a very special thing and something that I personally couldn’t be more excited about”, confirmed the Spanish world No. 70, who will join Garbiñe Muguruza as one of two female home players confirmed to play on the Madrid clay. 

Badosa will be returning to the Spanish capital for the first time since 2018. “I love the clay swing, so being able to compete in Madrid really motivates me. It was one of the first big tournaments I was able to play in my career and I remember the great affection I received from the fans. I can’t wait to get back on the courts of the Caja Mágica and compete”, she added.

Her results on clay are impressive; in her last French Open appearance last year, she produced her best Grand Slam result, reaching the last sixteen having beaten 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko and 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens. Also, in 2015 she won the title in the junior category in Paris.

That same 2015 season, she enjoyed her best outing at the Mutua Madrid Open, where she strung together two wins in the qualifiers to seal her first appearance in the main draw. She was forced to withdraw from her first-round match due to injury against Sara Errani. She was back one year later and, once again, she was unable to complete her first-round match due to an injury against Alizé Cornet.

At the third time of trying, in 2021 she will be bidding to celebrate her first home victory. “Paula is one of the best players in the WTA and we’re delighted to be able to give her the opportunity to open her account at our tournament”, said Feliciano López, director of the Mutua Madrid Open. “It’s true that she hasn’t had the best of luck with injuries in previous years, but we’re sure she’ll give her all on court as she does in all of her matches”.

So far this season, the Spaniard has already shown signs of her quality, with a record of 5 wins from 8 matches. Her best moment of the year so far came on the hard court of Lyon, where she was on the verge of the final after three consecutive victories against Harmony Tan, Stefanie Voegele and Kristina Mladenovic.

As well as Paula Badosa, in the men’s draw two invitations to the ATP Masters 1000 tournament have already been announced: Carlos Alcaraz and Fernando Verdasco. The three Spaniards will be in the Caja Mágica along with other stars from the world of tennis. The remaining places will be announced in the coming days.