Paula Badosa “Looks Towards 2026” Following a Nightmare of Injuries This Season

Paula Badosa returns to the women's circuit at the Billie Jean King Cup after two and a half months of injury nightmares.

Paula Badosa “Looks Towards 2026” Following a Nightmare of Injuries This Season

Paula Badosa (via X/Paula Badosa)

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Paula Badosa has finally recovered from her injury nightmares which have forced her to be away from tour for the past two months and a half. The former World No.2 is currently with Spain in China ahead of their Billie Jean King Cup tie against Ukraine as she hopes to help her country earn a slot in the Finals.

Badosa has not played a competitive match since her shocking first-round loss against British Katie Boulter at the Wimbledon Championships. The Spaniard was forced to miss the entire North American hard-court swing, including the Canadian Open, which she won in 2024. The reason behind her absence was because of a back injury she began struggling with this season.

She has also been struggling with psoas problems – which are large muscles that run from the lumbar through the groin. Badosa currently holds a win-loss record of 17-11, so far this season having played in just 28 matches. Her best run this year was at the Australian Open, where she reached the semi-finals.

Since then, she has been to just three tournaments’ quarter-finals this season, while making it to the fourth round of the Miami Open before withdrawing from the WTA 1000 tournament due to a back injury. Though it has been tough, she has made a comeback to the circuit at the Billie Jean King Cup.

Ahead of Spain’s clash against Ukraine, she revealed during her interview with Marca that she feels better every day on the court after a very complicated injury nightmare. She added that she now looks up to 2026 as a possible year for a full comeback to the tour:

It has been a complicated few months, but every day I feel a little better. It is never easy to come back after an injury, but I feel very good with my teammates. In these types of tournaments, having a good atmosphere is very important, this good team spirit. I am starting anew now, I am returning, but I know that the season will also end soon. I try to feel the best I can, although honestly, my goal is to already look towards 2026.

Besides Badosa’s trouble with injuries off the court, she also made headlines in August. It was reported that she had broken up with her former boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, just a year after their first split.

Paula Badosa excited to compete at the Billie Jean King Cup

Paula Badosa’s Spain is seeded fourth at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and will take on Ukraine in their opening match. Spain has not won the tournament since 1998, when it was known as Fed Cup. Also, the last time they managed to reach the final of the event was in 2008. Last year, they didn’t make it to the Finals in Malaga.

Paula Badosa (2)
Paula Badosa (Image via X)

Badosa is joined by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Cristina Bucsa, Leyre Romero Gormaz, and Aliona Bolsova, while Carla Suarez Navarro is their captain. During the aforementioned interview, she revealed that the Billie Jean King Cup has allowed her to mingle with people whom she knows and that has helped her:

It helps to come to the Billie Jean King Cup and play as a team. When returning from injury, sometimes you feel a bit alone, you have ups and downs. Having these people by your side, your team close by, always helps, motivates me.

However, Ukraine has a very strong team for the clash against Spain and has consistently proven itself as dangerous in team competitions. They will rely heavily on World No.13 Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, while Yulia Starodubtseva, Liudmila Kichenok, and Nadiia Kichenok complete the team.

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