“Having Rafa in our country inspired me a lot,” Paula Badosa gets real on being a compatriot to one of the GOATed Big 3s

Tennis, one of the toughest sports in the world, works on an individual’s mental health. With the athlete being on their own in the center stage, they are often under immense pressure, affecting their mental state. 

Adding to this was Paula Badosa, who has always been vocal about her mental health issues. The Spaniard spoke about the toll the sport has on their mental health in a recent podcast episode on the Tennis Channel. However, the 26-year-old has worked toward improving her mental health, taking inspiration from her compatriot Rafael Nadal.

Badosa revealed that she, too, has worked on her health since 2021, pushing herself to always fight like Rafa did in pressure situations. 

I promised myself I was going to fight and be a warrior on court. I think a little bit also having Rafa in our country inspired me a lot, and I started that year [2021] and I said no matter how I feel, no matter how I feel that day—mentally, physically, or how I feel my tennis—I'm going to be there… I’m going to fight.

said Badosa on the Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast

The former Indian Wells winner made a return to tennis at the Adelaide International, after sitting out for almost eight months. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to get any wins, as the injury scares keep on getting to her. So far, she has withdrawn from 4 tournaments, as her injury scares get worse. Despite this, the Spaniard keeps on motoring through tournaments, trying to get back to full health as soon as possible. 

Paula Badosa and Rafael Nadal called out for withdrawing from Indian Wells after participating in exhibition matches

Two Spaniards, Paula Badosa and Rafael Nadal, have currently withdrawn from the Indian Wells due to injury concerns. However, they did play in the exhibition events right before the tournament, raising many questions for them. 

Nadal was present in one of the most awaited matches of the season, the Netflix Slam, where he took on his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. This was one of the biggest exhibition events of the year, but after this, the Spaniard announced his withdrawal from the Indian Wells. 

Surprisingly, the same thing happened with Badosa, who was present in an exhibition mixed-doubles event with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas. The couple was part of the Eisenhower Cup, where they won two matches before losing in the finals. After this, Badosa also withdrew from the Indian wells, raising much suspicion among the fans. 

While other players like Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina withdrew from the same exhibition event, Badosa, despite an injury scare, played the small tournament and wasn’t fit for the main Indian Wells event. This raised many eyebrows among the fans, who suspected both the Spaniards of not being loyal to the sport. 

In Case You Missed It:

• “Rafa and I are probably not going to play,” Novak Djokovic makes shocking retirement admission as Rafael Nadal’s Indian Wells withdrawal hits him hard
• WATCH: Jannik Sinner inches closer to breaking yet another record as the Italian pride advances to R3 at the Indian Wells

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW