Iasi Open Round-Up | Paula Badosa forced to retire as injury woes continue, Mayar Sherif wins second tour title

Monday, 20 July 2026 at 11:33

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Paula Badosa was on top of the world when she managed to win Bastad last week on the WTA 125 circuit and she has continued in that vein when it comes to this week in Iasi. But it seems like two tournaments in a row was a bridge too far for the Spaniard.

Badosa was forced to return on the Monday as weather played havoc with the schedule on Sunday and even saw Hamburg sweating when it came to their schedule as it has a Monday morning start.

Badosa retired against Sherif 4-6, 0-4 down in the Iasi WTA 250 final as Sherif won her 10th match in a row and a second WTA Tour title. Sherif in herself has waited four years to claim her second tournament on the main tour.

She is now back in the top 50 after a run which has seen her pick up 10 titles in WTA 125 tournaments so she very much always sits on the cusp without managing to breakthrough. But after a long wait, she has broken back through. After the rain comes the sunshine for Sherif with the 30-year-old Egyptian winning the final after dominating Badosa.

Badosa befalls to similar fate

Badosa, no doubt, will also have one eye on being ready for the US hard-court swing in a few weeks, with yet more important points in the bag, as long as the injury sustained in this retirement doesn't derail that momentum.

But she too has had a great week despite losing out in the final to Sherif by retirement albeit it is an all too familiar feeling for Badosa as she just wasn't able to push through for one more match and was forced to retire.

It was a pretty competitive set to start off albeit neither player could really hold their serve. It was 2-1 and then 4-3 with breaks all the way in between but Sherif managed to find the hold and it started to go desperately wrong for Badosa.

Badosa loses after great two weeks.

She went on to lose the set and then called an medical time out to begin the second in which Sherif was already winning 3-0. Badosa played one more game but then decided to curtail her display. She moves on now towards the US while Sherif is still very much entered into Hamburg this week.

So she now plays there, hence why the schedule perhaps would've been in jeopardy. She opens up against Simona Waltert.

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