"I'm a better player now than when I was world No. 2"—Confident Paula Badosa sets high ambitions

Paula Badosa recently stated that she considers herself a better player now than when she reached world No. 2. The Spaniard is the second seed at the WTA 500 Mérida Open Akron, where she and Emma Navarro are the tournament favourites.

Badosa has shown renewed confidence after dropping out of the top 1000 due to a recurring back injury, which even made her consider retirement. After several months away from the Tour, she had to fight her way back up the rankings to reclaim her spot among the world's best.

The former Indian Wells champion believes her current level surpasses that of her peak ranking years ago. "I'm a better player than when I was world No. 2. I'm performing at a higher level. Obviously, I was ranked No. 2 before, but right now, I consider myself superior in every aspect."

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"Now I'm healthy and eager to compete"

At the end of 2021, Badosa won her first WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells, defeating former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the final. She later claimed the Sydney title and had several strong clay-court runs in early 2022, helping her reach her career-high ranking. It was a period when Swiatek dominated the Tour, and several players briefly held the No. 2 spot, including Krejcikova, Jabeur, and Sabalenka.

However, after struggling with inconsistency and minor injuries for nearly a year, Badosa ended her 2023 season early, missing about seven months of competition. "What I went through was tough—a stress fracture that made even daily life painful. It hurt when I slept; it was difficult to manage, but I believed in myself and that I would return once I healed. Now I’m healthy and eager to compete," she explained.

“It's what I get up for every day, I want to think that until I win a big tournament I'm going to fight to get it. I have to be well mentally, emotionally and physically. There are many factors that influence, but I know I can,” she assured.

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The world No. 11 will debut on Wednesday against the winner of Jaqueline Cristian (No. 85) and Camila Osorio (No. 53). "It will be a tough match, but I’m in good shape. Being a top-level tennis player is hard. Standing out in anything in this world always involves sacrifice, tears, and joy."

In the live rankings, Badosa currently sits at No. 10, just over 150 points ahead of Emma Navarro (No. 11). The American needs to reach at least the semifinals and hope for an early exit from the Spaniard to avoid dropping out of the top 10 next week

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