Bad news for Paula Badosa: Back injury forces her out of US Open

Paula Badosa published a heartfelt letter on social media after announcing her withdrawal from the US Open. The world No. 12 continues to receive bad news after a relapse of a back injury that recently forced her to miss the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

Her return was expected at the US Open—where she even appeared on the entry list for mixed doubles with Jack Draper, which was scheduled to start in less than two weeks—but she will ultimately not be in the doubles draw or the singles.

The Spaniard is expected to continue falling in the rankings. This week she won't defend her Cincinnati semifinal points, which will cause her to drop to at least No. 16. Later, at Flushing Meadows, she had reached the tournament's quarterfinals, losing another good amount of points. Badosa will fall outside the top 20 once the last Grand Slam of the year is over.

For the moment, there are no clear signs of when a potential return will be for the former world No. 2. Her last appearance was at Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round to Katie Boulter. Shortly after, she announced the relapse of her psoas injury, which affects her lower back and hip—something that has been a recurring issue in her career.

Recently, the former Indian Wells champion published an emotional letter on social media where she reflected on the constant complications she has had with injuries throughout her career. “I was not built for easy days. I was molded by the moments that broke me, the decisions that didn't go as I planned, and the times I fell short of who I wanted to be. My setbacks were not signs that I was weak; they were necessary chapters in a story that is still being written."

"Failure taught me what success never could. It humbled me. It forced me to look inward, to ask difficult questions, to rebuild with more intention and clarity. Every mistake I made sharpened my understanding of who I am and who I am not. And while I once feared those mistakes, I now see them as some of my best teachers."

It's worth remembering that Badosa had been off the court for more than six months between 2023 and 2024, and it took her several months to return to a good level, climbing back up the rankings. The final part of 2024 saw her resurgence—with the semifinals in Cincinnati and quarterfinals of the US Open precisely as part of her best results—but this 2025 has not been successful in finding a good physical state.

"There were times when I thought I had lost everything. My direction, my confidence, my sense of worth. But looking back, I realized I was only losing what no longer served me. Every loss gave space for growth. Every closed door redirected me to a better one."

"I'm not proud of every moment of my past, but I am proud of the person those moments created. The human being I am today is more resilient, more aware, and more grounded because of all I have survived and learned. I no longer run from failure. I respect it because it is the reason I am here. Stronger, wiser, and still growing."

Badosa, 27, has won four career titles, the last of them at the WTA 500 DC Open against Marie Bouzkova—another tournament where she couldn't defend her points. After returning to the top 10 a few months ago, Badosa is starting to see her ranking plummet, and she will once again in her career have to watch her progress be lost due to her inability to be on the court.