"Until the last day I play a match, that will be my goal" - Paula Badosa continues to target Grand Slam glory

Once one of the best players in the world, Paula Badosa’s tennis career has been a sorry tale of constant setbacks and false horizons. This has never halted her ambitions in the sport, picturing a resilient and determined character as she continues to fight for the biggest accolades in the sport.

After reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2025, tennis was reminded of the immense talent that she possesses. After peaking World No.2 in 2022 with a WTA 1000 title under her belt, it seemed that the sky was the limit.

However, injury problems in recent years have seen her plummet down the order. There is still hope following a recent upturn in form. Badosa took home a WTA 125 title at the Bastad Open in July of this year before reaching the final of the Iasi Open, the first WTA final in almost two years.

It would end in defeat, but it was a huge step in the right direction. A quarter-final and semi-final run in Hamburg and Sao Paulo, respectively, have in turn cannoned Badosa back up the rankings. Returning to the top 100, she now sits in the World No.58 position. A far cry from her prior glittering heights, but a comeback has to start somewhere.

The Spaniard was recently appointed as the new Laureus ambassador and spoke to Marca about her future aspirations in the sport.

Badosa will make a return to the court at the Japan Open in Osaka. “That's right,” she confirmed. “For the three remaining tournaments on the Asian tour. I'm really excited. I want to finish the year as well as possible and I'm already looking forward to 2027.”

She has paced herself, and is coming into these last tournaments fit and fresh in a nice change from the prior trend of a depleted body shutting down before the climax of the year. Badosa culminated 2025 after the China Open, but after skipping the WTA 1000 events is ready to make her mark once more.

“The body obviously has its quirks, and I've had a lot of injuries throughout my career, but all things considered, this season has been good in that respect, and now I feel very good physically. I also hope to continue in this vein so that next year I can climb back up the rankings to where I was before and where I believe I should be.”

With these tournaments comes the added incentive of fighting for a title and gaining more ranking points. Badosa is determined to capitalise from this and continue her upwards trend in the WTA rankings.

Set a target to become a seed for the Australian Open, Badosa acknowledged this suggested quest. “Why not? Obviously, it's always going to be a goal to be better ranked, and I'd rather be 30th than 50th, and 5th than 10th. On the other hand, I'm not too worried because a lot can happen in Grand Slams, and anyone can beat anyone. If I'm playing well, I think I can do well whether I'm seeded or not.”

While there has been improvement in the last few months, her ranking is still too low for her liking. “Yes, obviously it frustrates me,” she admitted. “But I also understand and accept why I'm in this ranking. It's clear that I've lacked consistency lately and that I have to improve step by step, following my own path, but I also know that in the end, things will fall into place.”

With everything that had gone on, she still targets major glory. The ultimate prize to add to her cv is still very much on despite her turning 29 next month. "Yes, it will always be like that until the day I retire, whether you ask me when I'm 20, 29, or 35. Until the last day I play a match, that will be my goal, mainly because I'm an ambitious person who needs big goals."

There is the unanswered question surrounding Badosa over how far she could have gone without injuries. This cruel twist is a part of sport at the highest level. Some get lucky, others are forced to go through choppy waters. Badosa is the latter.

While there is a lot unachieved, Badosa focuses on what she has done in the sport. "I might think about it sometimes, of course, but then I also think about what I've achieved despite all that, having injuries and being out of action for months, to get back to the top. So I'm also proud of the whole journey. People always think, 'What if I hadn't had this?' but I'm positive and I know I still have many things to experience in tennis. I prefer to think that way."

She has been in tennis for a good few years now and has matured a lot. "I like this analysis and I pretty much agree with you. I'll always be a very passionate and emotional player, that's not going to change, but I've worked a lot on managing my emotions, and age also brings experience. I'm getting older, you know? I used to be a player who would magnify and dramatise every loss and always cry, and maybe now you see me lose and I can analyse it without speaking from a place of emotion. So I think I've changed in that respect, I've taken a step forward."

There are so many positives when being a professional tennis player, but the negatives can be overwhelming. All top talents have had times where hate has spiralled towards them, and Badosa has been on the end of this at times. As the years have come and gone, she has learnt how to deal with this dark side of the sport.

"It's completely different how I handle it now because when I've lost, I already know what to expect in that regard. As an emotional player, the comments affected me a lot because I used to take everything personally, but now I try to focus on what my team tells me.

"Over time, I've come to understand that it's part of what I do and that some people unfortunately vent their frustration on social media. Which they shouldn't do because in the end, they just keep talking about or judging someone who's also very young and trying to give their all. I know very well the hours I put in and everything I give to this sport, so why would someone come and make a comment without knowing me, or just because I post a photo on my account, and tell me I'm no longer professional? So, in that respect, I've learned a lot about keeping my distance."