his phrase “I never stopped believing” and what lies behind it

Paula Badosa He is once again experiencing one of the best moments of his career after going through a “dark” period. With a record of 21 victories in her last 25 matches, the best Spanish tennis player has regained not only her place in the elite, but also her confidence on the court. Her latest results speak for themselves: champion in Washingtonsemi-finalist in Cincinnatiquarter-finalist of the WE. open and semi-finalist in Beijing. All this allowed her to return to the Top 15 of the WTA rankings, unthinkable a few months ago.

Badosa’s rebirth is no coincidence. After two and a half years without reaching a semi-final in a tournament WTA 1000Since March 2022, the Catalan has reached this event in the last two events in this category. This resurgence has not only positioned her at the top again, but also allowed her to compete against the best, demonstrating that her ability to perform at the highest level is intact.

“I never stopped believing in it… I’m taking my way back step by step,” the player wrote in X after her victory against Shuai Zhangwhich allowed him to face Coconut Gauff in the semi-final in Beijing. Even though Badosa was on the verge of reaching his first grand final since winning Indian Well In 2021, she finally fell to the American in a match where she came from behind. Despite the defeat, the most important thing for the Spaniard is that she becomes competitive again, which seemed impossible not long ago.

The semi-final against Gauff was a match full of ups and downs. Badosa started strong, winning the first set 4-6, thanks to his solidity in saving 10 of the 11 break points he faced and taking advantage of his opponent’s errors. However, the American, current world number 6, reacted in the second set, with a change of scenario from the eighth game which allowed her to equalize the score and win the set 6-4. In the third set, Gauff proved unstoppable, breaking Badosa’s serve several times and sealing the final 6-2.

Despite the semi-final defeat, the fact that Badosa reached this round in one of the most demanding tournaments on the tour is a testament to his recovery. However, to fully appreciate her achievement, we must go back to a time when the situation of the Spanish tennis player was radically different.

The start of the test

In May 2023, Badosa suffered a serious injury to his L-4 vertebra during the tournament. Romewhich marked the start of a long ordeal. The injury prevented her from playing on the field during the second half of the year and significantly affected her performance in early 2024. The doctors she consulted in different countries – from States Joined until Emiratespassing through Swiss And Spain– They warned him that the injury could be chronic and that he could only play with cortisone injections. Last April, the player admitted to being “very afraid” of this scenario.

The healing process was long and painful. Despite the physical and mental effort that it entailed, the results did not arrive and Badosa hit rock bottom in the tournament. Madrid. She was eliminated in the first round by the Spanish Jessica Bouzasa defeat that left her out of the Top 100 for the first time since August 2019. That’s when Badosa decided to make a drastic change. Or rather, start from scratch.

“I think everyone around me thought ‘she’s gone crazy'”

“I arrived in Madrid. I have something in my character that, when I hit rock bottom, I gain strength. In Madrid I had a very bad time. I was very bad, but I tried to find medical, physical solutions, and psychological questions, I wanted to return to what I had in 2021, who were my physical trainers David and Dani, in addition to Pol (Toledo, his trainer), who was always at my side,” Badosa explained in an interview. In BE in August. It was a turning point. The player admitted that many thought she had “gone crazy.”

This change in direction began to bear fruit during the clay court season. In the tournaments of Rome and Roland GarrosBadosa showed signs of improvement, and in Wimbledonwhere he reached the round of 16, it was clear he was back. However, the Catalan player made a crucial decision for the rest of her season: giving up the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He felt that returning to clay at this point in the season was not in his best interest and instead accepted an invitation to compete in the tournament in Washington.

It was in the United States that everything changed. Badosa won her first title since 2022, which gave her confidence. Although he lost in a close duel against Jelena Ostapenko In Canada The following week, she reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati tournament, where she was only stopped by Jessica Pegulafor which he was able to “take revenge” this week.

The big challenge facing Badosa was to demonstrate his good moment in a grand slamthe main stage of world tennis. And she did it: at the US Open she reached the quarterfinals, clearly showing that she was ready to fight with the best in big tournaments. His performance in Beijing, reaching the semi-finals, only confirmed his return to the elite.

Now, with the Top 15 assured and the Top 10 on the horizon, Paula Badosa looks to the future with optimism. After all, as she said, “I never stopped believing.” And that confidence was the key to getting out of the hole and becoming one of the best players on the tour again.