Deja-vu: Paula Badosa loses to Mayar Sherif for second consecutive week in three-set thriller as upturn in form continues

Paula Badosa has run into the same stumbling block as last week. Her form has taken a turn for the better, but a quarter-final defeat in the Hamburg Open against Mayar Sherif will sting with an incredibly tight match ending 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 6-4.

A final defeat at the Iasi Open last week fuelled Badosa on court as she tried to extract her revenge, but it would not be the case this time round as the eye-catching Sherif continued to impress with a fourth title from her prior five events very much on the cards.

The first set took almost 90 minutes. Sherif lead by a double break before Badosa clawed back the deficit, saving a set point as a tiebreak was created. It was dominated by Sherif who sailed into a 6-1 lead before taking her fourth set point to lead.

Badosa struck back. It was her turn to fail to serve it out with a set point coming and going. The second consecutive tiebreak was a treat for the enthralled fans, and they would be treated to a third set as Badosa won it 7-2.

Similar to the first set, Sherif went 4-1 ahead with a double break. Three games later, Badosa had levelled it at 4-4. Sherif rallied and won the final two games, seizing back a break advantage before converting a first match point to conclude a thriller and end Badosa's title hopes.

These last couple of years for Badosa have been really tricky to navigate and has tested her mentally and physically, pushing her to the absolute limit. However, she powered through.

There were glimpses last year of the Spaniard returning to her best form with some deep runs like at the Australian Open. At the start of 2026, those points have come off and she plummeted down the rankings.

Outside the top 100, she was relying on wildcards and her own fitness to keep her in tournaments when allowed to compete.

Taking a step down to Challenger level was a wise move as she found her feet once more. Momentum was built back in March when she reached the semi-final of a WTA 125 event in Austin, losing to former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

What followed was a bit of a barren run which saw her skip tournaments such as the Rome Open and Roland Garros. A quarter-final run in Berlin which saw her take down Coco Gauff was a huge positive with the silverware just around the corner.

Competing at WTA 125 level again, Badosa went better than Austin and charged all the way to the title. No physical problems and not even a set dropped. It was a hugely positive and improved week of tennis in Bastad with Badosa setting her sights on a trio to Romania.

Up to WTA 250, back-to-back finals were what was in store for the former Indian Wells champion. Egypt talent Sherif was who she needed to get past, but was unable to as she retired 6-4, 4-0 down thanks to a bout of illness.

The sense of deja-vu was very much there when Sherif once again defeated Badosa on clay. Now set to rise to world number 83 next week following another 10 positions risen following her campaign in Hamburg, the North American hardcourt swing is next in store with there no longer any concerns about her involvement in the US Open. Now comfortably in the top 100, Badosa is set to compete in the event for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals since 2024.