Paula Badosa He is going through a very sweet moment of play and results and this Wednesday, after qualifying for the first time for the third round of the United States Open, he made sure that he wants to show that he can return to the top and compete with the best.
“I want to win the ‘WTA Comeback of the Year’ award (for the tennis player who returns the strongest in the elite) because I want to show that I’m worth it. Honestly, I want to play every week with Aryna (Sabalenka)including Iga (Swiatek)including (Jessica) Pegula… I want to play with these players and challenge myself against them,” she said in a press conference.
After a long journey in the desert with injuries and poor results, the Spaniard is smiling these days around his native New York and this Wednesday he submitted to the American Taylor Townsend number 48 in the world, by 6-3 and 7-5 in one hour and 40 minutes.
Badosa, number 29 in the ranking, will play for the first time in the third round of Flushing Meadows against the Romanian. Elena-Gabriela Ruse who, coming from the previous rounds, gave the bell and defeated the Czech Barbora Krejcikovaeighth player in the world, champion this year at Wimbledon, 6-4 and 7-5, in one hour and 45 minutes.
“The truth is I’m glad because it’s something that I’ve been thinking about a lot in this tournament. I remember a few months ago I was doing this with my psychologist too: ‘We’re going to focus on this tour because it’s something which you always rejected'” he recalled.
“I’m happy because before flying to the US it was something I worked on, especially mentally, I worked a lot to be more open and not too closed minded to the conditions: I don’t believe I can play well in these fast conditions. “It’s something I’m proud of myself,” he added.
Badosa made a risky bet by giving up Paris 2024 to do the complete hard court tour of North America and it turned out spectacularly, as she won the WTA 500 in Washington (her first title since January 2022) and reached the semifinals of the WTA 1,000 in Cincinnati.
A key aspect of his great moment is that he is now one hundred percent physical.
“I know that when my body responds, the tennis and the results will come. Before my injury, I was one of the best tennis players in the world and I think today I am showing it again,” he said.
“Honestly, the way I feel now, and it’s going to sound really bad, I feel very proud of myself and my ego is a little bit higher. When I was in April and May I was hearing people saying ‘you have to retire, “‘You will never be the same’… But I have that fire inside and I told myself that I was going to prove them wrong,” she said.
Now measure it to Russia, who defeated him in Dubai in 2022 in their only meeting between the two. “I have very bad memories of that game, to be honest…” he admitted with a smile.
“It was quite bad, it was a moment when I was very high, with many expectations and I didn’t manage it well at all. I also remembered that he played very well (…). I hope for a match in that he has nothing to lose and I am the opposite (…).
Finally, Badosa assured that he does not mind competing in the conditions of intense heat and high humidity that are the hallmark of the Big Apple’s ‘grand slam’.
“I like suffering. I’m Spanish, I have inspiration Rafa. “I’ll be there for four hours if necessary,” he said.
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Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
