“Our bodies aren’t like a man’s body,” Paula Badosa declares women’s tennis players are not ready to play five sets

Badosa has stated that women cannot recover as quickly as men.

“Our bodies aren’t like a man’s body,” Paula Badosa declares women’s tennis players are not ready to play five sets

Paula Badosa (via Imago)

Spanish WTA star Paula Badosa has declared that women’s tennis players cannot play five-setters like their male counterparts because their bodies won’t allow them. Following discussions about women also playing five sets at Grand Slam tournaments like men, Badosa has chipped in with her opinion.

The former World No. 2 has claimed that Badosa has stated that women cannot recover as quickly as men. do during these five-set matches. Badosa also cited menstruation as one of the factors why women cannot play five-setters.

YouTube video
I personally don’t think women are prepared to play 5 sets because of what we go through. For example, we go through periods. Our bodies aren’t like a man’s body. So I really think a woman wouldn’t recover as well as a man does.
Paula Badosa said (via TennisONE)

Notably, netizens attributed this statement from Badosa to her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas. That is because the Greek tennis ace recently shared a video that portrays traditional gender roles where men are depicted as providers and heads of the family, while women are portrayed as being focused on domestic tasks and nurturing.

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Did Stefanos Tsitsipas influence Paula Badosa’s opinions?

While fans weigh in with their thoughts, the argument that Stefanos Tsitsipas might have influenced Paula Badosa‘s opinions about women not being capable of playing five-setters looks baseless. The Spaniard has had similar views on equal pay in tennis.

Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas
Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas (Image via Imago)

Badosa has openly claimed that she does not find any problems with the pay gap between the two genders. The former World No. 2 recently said that men get paid more because they generate more. 

I have always been very clear that we are what we generate, regardless of gender. Are there differences? Maybe there are, but because men's tennis generates more than women's. In my sport, in fact, it is much more equal than in others. Just as in the world of fashion, for example, the opposite occurs between male and female models.
Paula Badosa said (H/T: Marca)

Nonetheless, the demand for equal pay for women’s tennis players was addressed long ago by the Grand Slam tournaments. Moreover, the WTA is working to bridge the pay gap in other tournaments as well. The women’s tennis governing body recently approved a plan to achieve equal pay across the tennis calendar by 2033. As part of the proposal, all tournaments at the WTA 500 and WTA 1000 levels that feature both men and women will be paying men and women equally by 2027.

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