Paula Badosa loves the Mutua Madrid Open. She feels happy in the Caja Magica, one of her favourite venues to play tennis in. The Spaniard will be competing in her seventh Mutua Madrid Open, and once again she will be the great hope for the Spanish contingent.
“I’m arriving here with the goal of winning, playing with the best, challenging myself. But also this year and in the future I’ve decided to enjoy everything. ‘Look at all the people who are watching you, they’re the ones that get up at 3 in the morning to watch you in Australia’. And I want to return all that love and affection”, the player from Begur said on Tuesday during a press conference. “Hopefully I have six matches, because I want to win more than anyone. But if that’s not the case, then at least I’ll give 100% in every match”.
A semi-finalist at the tournament in 2021, the Spaniard lost her opener last year, but that defeat led to something of a new dawn for her. Badosa subsequently rebuilt her game and has managed to return to the elite. This year she touches down in the Spanish capital as the WTA world No. 9 after an encouraging start to 2025, including reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open. However, in recent weeks the back problems that have plagued her in recent years have returned.
“It’s a shame that it’s always in Madrid when I go through difficult times. Last year it really helped me that I proved to myself I can get back among the best despite everything. When you come back from such a long injury, you always have doubts. Will I be able to do it again?”, said Badosa. “Now that I’ve missed a lot of tournaments, it helps me see it in perspective. It’s a tough moment, but you know that you can get back to where you deserve to be. The experience of all these years gives me peace of mind”.
Badosa also explained how she got through the tough times that come with an injury. “It’s difficult and I don’t have the answer or the solution. I try to deal with it as well as possible, to disconnect and I have constant feedback from my doctors. I’m very grateful to them because they’re there 24/7. It’s difficult to handle emotionally, above all because I started so well, I felt like it was going to be the best year of my career. It’s hard because you lose your confidence quickly and getting that back is a long process and a lot of people don’t realise that”.
A message of support for Sara Sorribes
The Spaniard also wanted to send a message of encouragement to Sara Sorribes, who recently announced that she is taking an indefinite break from tennis to rest. “I grew up with Sara from the age of 13 or 14, we’ve had so many moments together and we have a great mutual respect. When I saw the letter she wrote, it gave me goosebumps. Few people can empathise as much as me, because I’ve been through that too”, Badosa explained. “I sent her a message and the most important thing is exactly what she’s doing: making her own decisions for herself. The important thing is to be happy. If that’s playing tennis, great. If it’s not, it’s great too. She needs her time and to be happy”.
