Paula Badosa slams press for objectifying female tennis players, forgiving men for their mistakes

World No.3 Paula Badosa has slammed the press who covers women’s tennis saying players either have to deal with being called non-serious or focused on modelling-based endorsements, which is rather tough for her.

On court, Badosa has not been having the best of time lately, having won only one of her last six matches but she is still trying to look at the brighter, bigger picture considering she was only in the top 25 for most of last year.

“I think that on the female side it is more complicated because the critics say that you are unfocused. Or if you have some marketing agreement, you tell yourself that you do not perform in tennis. I do not see that so much on the male side. And there is part which is more tabloids than sports media. That’s why I’ve taken a step back with that,” Badosa told Spain’s radio network Cadena SER.

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“I’m working on seeing the positive things. It’s crazy to be 3rd in the world after everything we’ve been through. It’s my first year as top-10. Being 3rd in the world is great. There will always be options. The year last was number 20 or 25,” she added.

Also Read: “I don’t think it’s an important topic at all,” Rafael Nadal remains unbothered by Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa’s complaints over the balls for women at the 2022 US Open

Paula Badosa wishes to retire quietly

Amidst so much drama in the recent past over the retirement of biggies such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams, Badosa also said in the interview that when she retires, she wants to go away quietly without anyone even caring.

“I would like to leave the tennis court and nobody knows who I am,” Badosa told Manu Carreno and Alex Corretja in the radio show.

On being asked who she would like to play in her last match, Badosa said, “I don’t know, I will never have a rivalry like that of Rafa and Roger. At the moment I don’t have a rivalry like that, but out of friendship for being above Sabalenka.”

Paula Badosa and her personal life

Badosa started her professional career back in 2015 and hasn’t looked back since then. Born in a family of fashion enthusiasts in Manhattan, Badosa’s family moved to Spain when she was seven years old.

Interestingly, Badosa’s initial dream was to excel as a model and make a name for herself in fashion. However, she soon realized her prowess in the game of tennis where she has already reached great heights. Moreover, Badosa is well and truly a polyglot as she is well-versed in Spanish, Catalan, English, and French.

Fans across the world have been extremely curious to know who Paula Badosa is dating. The 23-year-old gorgeous tennis player is in a relationship with Juan Betancourt. Born in Cuba, Betancourt is a renowned model and actor who has featured in magazines like GQ Brazil, Elle Man Vietnam, and GQ Espana.

Moreover, Juan has also featured in a French movie called ‘The Laws of Thermodynamics’ which is available on Netflix. Reportedly, Juan and Paula have been together since 2021. Juan has been spotted on the tennis court many a time supporting his lady with all his might.

Also read: ‘Historic’: Paula Badosa wins the Indian Wells Open, thrashes Victoria Azarenka in a hard-fought finale

Also read: Paula Badosa, the ‘Giant Killer’ enjoying a meteoric rise in 2021