"I think it was a smart decision" - Paula Badosa explains why she chose to play at the DC Open in lieu of the Olympic Games
WTAThursday, 01 August 2024 at 07:00
Former World No.2 Paula Badosa is one of the big names missing from the 2024 Olympic Games tennis roster, and the Spanish star has opened up on why she chose to skip the quadrennial event and instead compete at the ongoing DC Open.
Badosa defeated 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in her opening round match at the DC Open. The Spaniard has been dealing with back injuries over the last year, making sporadic appearances on the WTA Tour. After regaining some momentum earlier this year, Badosa shocked several fans by opting to play at the DC Open instead of representing her native Spain at the Paris Olympics.
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Changing surfaces could be detrimental to her back, says Badosa
"In the last two tournaments that I played on grass I felt good sensations and I have to say that I felt good," revealed Badosa. "In the last one it was a shame because I was very close and I showed a great level, I am confident in view of the season on hard courts, I love this phase.
"My back is responding well, if I continue to change surfaces I risk having problems and it's not worth it for me, especially given the situation at the beginning of the season. Sometimes all this scares you mentally, I want to avoid these feelings and I think it was a smart decision."
"My back is responding well, if I continue to change surfaces I risk having problems and it's not worth it for me, especially given the situation at the beginning of the season. Sometimes all this scares you mentally, I want to avoid these feelings and I think it was a smart decision."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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