In Madrid, Paula Badosa, the ninth seed at the Mutua Madrid Open, announced her withdrawal from her second-round match scheduled for Friday. The reason cited was a persistent lower back injury.
As a result, her spot in the main tournament draw went to lucky loser Cristina Bucsa, a fellow Spanish player, who was then set to compete against Veronika Kudermetova.
This decision was not entirely unexpected. Prior to the tournament beginning, Badosa had openly stated that she was not feeling 100% fit. During her required interviews with media, the same question consistently arose: the condition of her back, an injury that has been affecting her for close to two years now.
Speaking about her condition, Badosa said,
“My back is good, slowly getting better. It’s been a tough injury, honestly, this one because it was totally different from the last one. It was an injury that was touching the nerves, so I was constantly having pain.”
She further elaborated on the severity of the issue, confessing,
“My normal life was a disaster, honestly — I couldn’t even move from the couch.”
Three years ago, Badosa reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2. However, a back injury in 2023 forced her to miss the final five months of that season. Her performance has been gradually improving in 2024, with notable results including winning the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open, reaching the semifinals in Cincinnati, the quarterfinals at the US Open, and the semifinals in Beijing.
She concluded the previous season just outside the Top 10, and her run to the semifinals at this year`s Australian Open helped her return to the elite group. Nevertheless, her season has been challenging since then. She retired from her second match in Merida, Mexico, withdrew from the Indian Wells tournament, and pulled out of the Round of 16 in Miami, again due to her back issue.
Badosa mentioned that even a few weeks prior, she experienced intense pain even when stationary.
However, she found some relief, stating,
“But I was lucky that the treatment, the injections that I had to do a few have worked. So, slowly getting back there, yeah.”
When asked about her current percentage of fitness, perhaps whether she was at 50 or 75 percent, Badosa responded,
“I don’t know. Slowly, step by step, every day I’m feeling a bit better. Hopefully I will be my 100 percent soon. Not right now, but soon.”
