“He’s just won two Grand Slams...he should be congratulated every day.”: Badosa on Alcaraz criticism

Paula Badosa has found the criticism which has been levied towards Carlos Alcaraz after his exit from the US Open strange especially given he won the last two majors.

Alcaraz lost out in a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 triumph for Botic van de Zandschulp with the Dutchman who came close to retiring last year finding his form again to serve the Spaniard a swift exit.

But it saw criticism levied at his door which Badosa herself who is having her own renaissance this week in her home city of New York found odd.

“I woke up this morning and I read all these negative comments because he lost in the second round,” said Badosa of her compatriot Alcaraz.

“I thought ‘he’s just won two Grand Slams and he’s been No 1 in the world’.

“These criticisms surprise me. Everyone is human, everyone can lose in any round. Reading that makes me feel bad but I know that it is part of the job and that is what it is. He should be congratulated every day.”

While for Badosa, it is the culmination of a superb season back. She plays Wang Yafan for a spot in the Quarter-Finals of the US Open and that she considered quitting.

“The low point for me was at the middle of the season. It was really bad,” she said.

“Coming from the injury in the beginning you never know what to expect. At the beginning of the season, I was okay, but after seeing that I was struggling also with my back, it wasn’t responding well.

“My results weren’t what I was expecting in that moment. So it was really bad. There were moments, especially after Madrid, when I didn’t know what to do.

“In my mind I was thinking, like, maybe I should quit because if I’m not in the highest level, I don’t want to play this sport. I don’t want to be in the ranking I was in that moment. For me, it doesn’t make sense.

“That’s how I am as my personality. So if I’m not on the top or in the best players in the world, I don’t want to play this sport.

“In that moment I was playing really bad and I wasn’t finding the solution, but I had no other option than to be with my team, stick with them, trust the process as we say.

“I think the process was good. I was working well, but I just needed time and patience.

“Also, I needed my back to respond. It came all after I think after the clay court season, before the grass. I started to feel better. You know, you slowly win matches. You start to believe in yourself.

“The most important, that my back was responding really well. After that, I think I lost very close matches there, but the level was there. Well, finally here in the US swing I could prove it. I think all my work paid off.”