"I missed that": Paula Badosa identifies reason behind early season struggle after recent success

Spain’s tennis star Paula Badosa has explained why she struggled in the early part of the season this year. The 26-year-old was once regarded as one of the most talented women’s tennis players in the singles category.

However, things have not gone according to the plan for Badosa in the recent past, largel because of fitness concerns. The New York-born star missed nearly the whole of the 2023 season because of a serious back injury. She returned to the court earlier this year but failed to continue producing consistent results.

That, however, has changed in the recent past as she lifted the Citi Open after beating the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova in the final with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Badosa is currently taking part in the Cincinnati Open, where she has already booked her place in the second round after beating America’s Peyton Stearns in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 7-5. The former world number two spoke to the Tennis Channel after securing her first-round win in Cincinnati. She talked about a number of things, in particular about what was missing from her game in the early part of the season and also revealed how she managed to feel better.

“Look, at the beginning of the year, what I missed the most was my consistency of trying to play long rallies,” she explained. “I think that's my biggest strength, and I missed that. I mean, physically, I wasn't the same. So I had to start to get fit again. In Rome, I started to feel much better. I started to feel especially stronger physically because I think my tennis was always there. Players, they don't forgive, you know, so you have to go for it. You have to be 100%, especially in my case. So I started to feel much better and I think that was connected to my mentality, my mindset. Now I feel I am tough again and that's what I want to feel.”