"When I come back, just leave some for me": Paula Badosa sends message to BFF Aryna Sabalenka as injury woes continue

Tennis stars Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka may be rivals on the court, but they have developed a close friendship over the years away from tennis, with Badosa recently shedding some light on their relationship.

The duo have experienced different fates over the last year, with Sabalenka winning two Grand Slam titles and attaining the World No.1 ranking for eight weeks last October. Conversely, Badosa has dealt with a back injury that saw her miss half of the 2023 season, culminating in a short comeback to start the year before withdrawing from the 2024 Indian Wells tournament due to injury.

Despite watching from the sidelines, the Spaniard has never stopped supporting her friend. Both ladies have faced each other on four occasions, taking two wins apiece but Badosa is happy to see the Belarusian excel at the sport they both love.

"Now that I haven't been able to play and I was injured, for me, the happiest thing was to see her win," said Badosa in an appearance on The Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast. "So yeah, I always tell her, 'Ok, now that I'm injured, you can win anything you want. But when I come back, just leave some for me'."