Women's Tennis Blog

Category: Paula Badosa

Swiatek, Azarenka, Kenin advance to Adelaide quarterfinals

Second-round matches completed at the Adelaide International 1 and all three Grand Slam champions in action on Thursday have made it to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament in Australia.

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action during the second round at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Defending champion Iga Swiatek eased past Leylah Fernandez 6-1 6-2 in their first career meeting.

Leylah Fernandez of Canada in action during the second round at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

After the match, the world No.9 Swiatek expressed appreciation of her Canadian opponent: “I’m sure we will have many close matches in the future, Leylah Fernandez. Thank you for today. #respect”

Misaki Doi of Japan in action during the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Japan’s Misaki Doi took advantage of other players’ withdrawals to enter the main draw and is now through to her first WTA 500 quarterfinal since Osaka 2019 with a 7-6(4) 6-3 win over Anastasia Gasanova.

Anastasia Gasanova of Russia in action during the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

The world No.130 Gasanova had upset eighth seed Elina Svitolina in the first round, but against Doi committed 43 unforced errors, including 13 double faults.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus before the second round at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Victoria Azarenka stopped Australian wildcard Priscilla Hon 6-3 7-5 to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Swiatek.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in action during the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Overall this was still a successful tournament for Hon, who had recovered from a set and a break down to upset world No.17 Petra Kvitova in the first round on Monday and register her first win over a Top 20 player.

Priscilla Hon of Australia in action during the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in action during the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Azarenka was also victorious in doubles with Paula Badosa on Thursday, as they reached the semifinals with a 6-2 7-5 win over Anna Blinkova and Ulrikke Eikeri.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus & Paula Badosa of Spain playing doubles at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Hon contested doubles as well, teamed up with compatriot Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz, but they lost in the round of 16 to Shelby Rogers and Heather Watson.

Priscilla Hon & Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz of Australia playing doubles at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Playing her first tournament since 2021 Wimbledon in July, sixth seed Sofia Kenin recovered from a set and 5-3 down, and saved three match points, to battle past Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 3-6 7-6(5) 6-3.

Sofia Kenin of the United States in action during the second round at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

The 2020 Australian Open champion set up a quarterfinal meeting with top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, whom she defeated en route to her sole Grand Slam title in Melbourne. The world No.12 Kenin owns three No.1 wins in career, including twice over Barty.

Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia in action during the second round at the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Friday’s schedule at the Adelaide International 1 will feature all the four quarterfinal matches. The pairs are as follows:

Elena Rybakina [7] vs. Shelby Rogers
Misaki Doi vs. Kaja Juvan
Ashleigh Barty [1] vs. Sofia Kenin [6]
Victoria Azarenka vs. Iga Swiatek [5]

January 6, 2022
Svitolina, Badosa start 2022 with losses, Swiatek cruises in Adelaide

As the second batch of first-round matches at the Adelaide International 1 got underway on Tuesday, Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa suffered losses as seeded players, while defending champion Iga Swiatek eased into the second round.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Eighth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine fell to Russia’s Anastasia Gasanova 5-7 6-4 6-3, who was playing her first match on Australian soil (including qualifying and ITF Circuit matches). The world No.130 Gasanova has now won both her matches against Top 20 opposition and both those victories happened in the opening week of the season — she kicked off 2021 with an upset of Karolina Pliskova in Abu Dhabi.

Anastasia Gasanova of Russia in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Previously, Svitolina’s last loss to a player ranked outside Top 100 on a hard court had been against No.158 Bethanie Mattek-Sands at 2017 Miami.

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Thanks to Jimmie48, we have these cool black-and-white photos of Svitolina preparing for her match against Gasanova.

Iga Swiatek recorded a straightforward 6-3 6-3 victory over newlywed Australian qualifier Daria Saville, who was playing her first WTA tournament since last year’s Australian Open after undergoing surgery on her Achilles.

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

The 27-year-old Saville owns eleven Top 10 wins in her career, but in her first meeting with Swiatek she was unable to add the Pole’s name to the long list.

Daria Saville of Australia in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Having won the 2020 Adelaide title without dropping a set, Swiatek is now 11-0 in sets at this Australian tournament.

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Shelby Rogers debuted a new orange and pink Fila outfit in her 6-1 6-3 victory over Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.

Shelby Rogers of the United States in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Speaking of Fila, Sofia Kenin is no longer sponsored by them. In Adelaide we can see that the 2020 Australian Open champion is currently without an apparel deal. She shouldn’t be without a clothing sponsor for long. I guess she’ll announce something soon.

Sofia Kenin of the United States in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

The sixth-seeded Kenin defeated Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti 7-5 7-5 on Tuesday.

Cori Gauff of the United States in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Coco Gauff debuted this unique rainbow tank during her 6-2 6-1 win over Norwegian qualifier Ulrikke Eikeri.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Late on Tuesday, world No.27 Victoria Azarenka recovered from a break down twice in the first set to defeat fourth seed Paula Badosa 6-3 6-2. Azarenka’s second-round opponent at the Adelaide International 1 will be Priscilla Hon, who upset Petra Kvitova on Monday.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

In her previous meeting with Azarenka, in last year’s Indian Wells final, Badosa came within two points of defeat before battling back to beat the Belarusian. Badosa is currently ranked at a career-high No.8, having begun last season at No.70.

Paula Badosa of Spain in action during the first round of the 2022 Adelaide International WTA 500 tennis tournament

Azarenka and Badosa are still playing together in doubles at the Adelaide International 1, as they defeated top seeds Aoyama/Shibahara in the first round.

Second-round pairs are now all set up:

[1] Ashleigh Barty vs. Coco Gauff
Ajla Tomljanovic vs. [6] Sofia Kenin
Victoria Azarenka vs. Priscilla Hon
Leylah Fernandez vs. [5] Iga Swiatek
[7] Elena Rybakina vs. Marie Bouzkova
Shelby Rogers vs. [3] Maria Sakkari
Anastasia Gasanova vs. Misaki Doi
Kaja Juvan vs. [2] Aryna Sabalenka

Action continues on Wednesday at 11 a.m. local time.

January 4, 2022
Hon upsets Kvitova, Sakkari squeezes through in Adelaide

The first main-draw play day of the 2022 WTA season is behind us. “Tennis makes an epic return,” state the organizers of the Adelaide International 1, and the tournament is justifying expectations.

Third seed Maria Sakkari became the WTA’s first main-draw winner of 2022 with a 6-2 0-6 6-4 victory over Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek. After being bageled in the second set, Sakkari built a 3-0 lead in the decider. The world No.30 Zidansek leveled the third set to 3-3, but Sakkari won three of the last four games, including the last eight points, and squeezed into the second round despite not playing her best tennis.

Seventh seed Elena Rybakina also needed three sets to get past Australian wildcard Storm Sanders 6-4 1-6 6-1. The Kazakh hit 44 winners and nine aces. When it comes to breaks, the world No.14 broke her opponent’s serve five times and saved nine of the 13 break points she faced to win the see-saw battle and reach the second round in Adelaide.

The highlight of the day was Australian wildcard Priscilla Hon‘s upset of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, 6-7(4) 7-5 6-2. The world No.263 Hon recorded her first Top 20 win and explained:

I’ve struggled in the past to close out matches quite a few times. They’re nightmares for me when I think back to them. Going into this I had a completely different mindset.

Previously, Hon’s best career win in terms of ranking had been the one against No.42 Ajla Tomljanovic at 2019 Seoul.

The world No.17 Kvitova was making her debut appearance in Adelaide. The Czech has lost to players ranked outside Top 200 only three times since 2009.

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 6-4 to set up a second-round clash with either fifth seed Iga Swiatek or Daria Saville.

The 19-year-old Fernandez used to wear Asics, but it looks like she’s awaiting a new clothing sponsor, as in Adelaide her apparel has no logo.

Ajla Tomljanovic made a good start to her 2022 season with a 6-4 7-6(5) win over Heather Watson. The Croatian-born Australian has switched from K-Swiss to Original Penguin tennis apparel.

Victoria Azarenka and Paula Badosa teamed up in doubles to defeat top seeds Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Japan 6-4 6-2. The Belarusian and the Spaniard are facing each other in the first round of singles on Tuesday.

Azarenka and Badosa looked cute both wearing the Nike Winter Advantage Pleat Skirt.

Meanwhile, top two seeds Ashleigh Barty and Aryna Sabalenka talked to the media while enjoying first-round byes at the Adelaide International 1.

First-round action continues at the Adelaide International 1 at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Elina Svitolina, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Victoria Azarenka, and Sofia Kenin are the biggest names waiting to take the court.

January 3, 2022
New year, old responsibilities: WTA players practice in Adelaide to kick off 2022 season

While most people are indulging in food and drinks on New Year’s Eve and then spending January 1 relaxing at home, WTA players are pushing themselves and using the last moments of the off-season to raise their level and get ready to make 2022 the best year of their careers.

Our photographer Jimmie48 is also already as busy as ever, shooting the preparation for the January 3-9 Adelaide International. Let’s see who was spotted on tennis courts on Friday and Saturday in Australia.

Daria Gavrilova enters 2022 as Daria Saville.

Daria’s practice partner on Friday was Britain’s Heather Watson.

Paula Badosa prepares for 2022 on the wings of her breakthrough 2021 season that took her to a career-high ranking of No.8.

Last year’s Adelaide champion Iga Swiatek practiced with last year’s US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez on Friday.

On Saturday, Swiatek was on the court with world No.1 Ashleigh Barty.

Ahead of her Saturday afternoon practice, Barty played Australian football with her team.

Elina Svitolina was happy to work on New Year’s Eve, with her new coach Andis Juska.

Ajla Tomljanovic enters the new year promoting her new apparel sponsor, Original Penguin.

The Australian shared the court with Maria Sakkari of Greece.

World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka was especially happy to pose for photographer Jimmie48.

Sofia Kenin is back working with her father.

Victoria Azarenka had her first practice of 2022 on January 1 in Adelaide.

Coco Gauff has also made it to Australia to kick off her 2022 season. The American was spotted practicing with Iga Swiatek on Saturday.

The 2022 WTA calendar opens with the Adelaide International 1, as well as two more tournaments going on at the same time, Melbourne Summer Set 1 and Melbourne Summer Set 2. Afterwards, we’re having the Adelaide International 2 and the Sydney Tennis Classic.

January 1, 2022
Photos of Paula Badosa and her boyfriend in Maldives

If someone has deserved a dream vacation it’s Paula Badosa. The new WTA Top 10 member and her handsome Cuban model boyfriend Juan Betancourt are living their best life at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands.

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A post shared by Paula Badosa (@paulabadosa)

The beautiful young couple is enjoying a luxury villa with views of the world-famous azzure waters. The accommodation blurs the line between indoors and outdoors and offers a private infinity pool and a sundeck.

Paula Badosa’s first impressions were: “Couldn’t ask for a better a place to be.” Juan Betancourt’s first comment on social media was: “And now where should I go on my honeymoon…” To which the tennis star responded: “We will think of some place.”

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The Spanish WTA player will work a bit on her vacation. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is organizing exclusive clinics with Badosa on November 22 and 24.

In 2021, the 24-year-old Badosa rose from No.70 to her current career-high WTA ranking of No.8, won her maiden WTA title at the Serbia Open in Belgrade, advanced to the French Open quarterfinals, triumphed at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, and qualified for the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara where she reached the semis.

November 21, 2021
Muguruza cruises past Badosa in all-Spanish Guadalajara semifinal

In the first ever all-Spanish semifinal at the WTA Finals, Garbine Muguruza eased past Paula Badosa 6-3 6-3 to reach the title match in Guadalajara.

The sixth-seeded Muguruza cruised through the first set, breaking the seventh-seeded Badosa twice while not facing a single break point herself. The two-time Grand Slam champion’s first serve percentage was 73% in the opening set and she lost just three points when she landed her first serve.

The 24-year-old Badosa held her first break points in the third game of the second set, but Muguruza fought off all the three and consolidated a break she had earlier earned for a 3-0 lead. That one early break proved to be crucial, as Badosa never managed to recover from the deficit and Muguruza came out on top after one hour and 25 minutes of match play.

The 28-year-old Muguruza is the first Spanish woman to make the final of the season-ending tournament since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1993. By reaching the title match at the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara, the former world No.1 can rise to No.3 in the WTA rankings. Badosa is projected to move to No.8 from her current position No.10.

November 16, 2021
Paula Badosa second into WTA Finals semis

After Anett Kontaveit from Group Teotihuacan advanced to the semifinals on Friday, Paula Badosa became the second Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara semifinalist on Saturday, beating Maria Sakkari 7-6(4) 6-4 in Group Chichen Itza.

Paula Badosa of Spain after winning her second round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

The victory over Sakkari is Badosa’s sixth against a Top 10 player this season. Moreover, the Spaniard, who started the year ranked 70th, has extended her winning streak to eight matches. Based on her 2-0 record in Group Chichen Itza and on results of other players, the new world No.10 Badosa advances to the semifinals as the group’s leading player.

Paula Badosa hugs boyfriend Juan Betancourt after winning her second round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Later on Saturday, top seed Aryna Sabalenka edged Iga Swiatek 2-6 6-2 7-5 in their first career meeting. Both players had lost their opening round-robin matches.

Sabalenka fought hard to record her first Top 5 win this season:

After the first set I was saying to myself, You have to get through this challenge, you have to get through this challenge, over and over again. You have to fight. You can’t give up like you did in the first match.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus after her second round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Swiatek will definitely not make it to the semifinals, but the Pole is very positive about her WTA Finals debut and Saturday’s match:

Looking at how I felt when I came here, two days ago, also yesterday, I feel like I kind of won today, 2-1 maybe, because I won against my stress and a little bit of fear, but I lost against Aryna. In the end I’m going to think this is a positive day.

Monday’s match between Sabalenka and Sakkari will determine the second qualifier out of Group Chichen Itza. The semifinals will be contested on Tuesday. The final is scheduled for Wednesday. (quotes via WTA Insider, photo: Jimmie48)

November 14, 2021
WTA Finals Guadalajara: Tennis shoes and apparel worn by eight players
As many as six tennis apparel brands are represented in singles competition at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara, unlike last time, in Shenzhen two years ago, when all members of the Elite 8 wore either Nike or Fila. Let’s have a detailed look at the outfits this season’s best WTA players are sporting at the season-ending event’s temporary stop in Mexico.

Group Teotihuacan

Anett Kontaveit‘s green Lacoste Fall Tennis Polo Tank features a subtle houndstooth pattern and a breathable mesh back panel. The tank’s ribbed collar matches the striped slit on the right side of the navy Lacoste Fall Tennis Skirt. Striped details enhance the vintage feel of the outfit. The Estonian’s footwear choice is the NikeCourt Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 model.

Barbora Krejcikova, the first woman since 2016 to qualify for both singles and doubles at the WTA Finals, endorses Head gear. The Czech’s style has always been simple and so is her Guadalajara apparel – a plain white tank and navy skirt. The reigning French Open champion’s tennis shoe is the dark blue Head Sprint Pro 2.5.

Karolina Pliskova was a lady in black at the draw ceremony gala and her on-court style is also black elegance from Fila‘s new Slice Serve collection.

Both her Fila Slice Racerback Tank and Fila Slice 13.5″ Skort feature flocked details and mesh inserts that give the black garments a glamorous touch.

The former world No.1’s Fila Axilus 2.5 Energized tennis shoes are black with rose gold accents.

Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sakkari are sporting Adidas‘ collaboration with Finish lifestyle brand Marimekko known for their bold prints that have portrayed the spirit of Helsinki for decades.

The Adidas Marimekko Dress worn by Garbine Muguruza features designer Maija Isola’s famous Unikko (poppy) pattern that was introduced almost 60 years ago when hardly any floral designs were included in Marimekko’s collections. The silhouette is Adidas’ classic Y-back that flares into a flattering A-shape.

Continuing Adidas’ effort to reduce plastic waste, the dress is made with Primeblue, an advanced recycled fabric that includes Parley Ocean Plastic.

The Spaniard’s feet are secured in the Adidas SoleMatch Bounce women’s tennis shoe.

Group Chichen Itza

Maria Sakkari is sporting the Adidas Marimekko Tank and Skirt. The Greek’s separates come in an even more eye-catching version of the Unikko print.

The Adidas x Marimekko collection offers several women’s tennis shoe styles. Sakkari’s choice are these Unikko-print Barricades in a black/gold/carbon palette.

Iga Swiatek is known for her classic sporty Asics style. The Pole’s Guadalajara gear includes the Core Court Dress and Asics Gel Resolution 8 kicks.

The sleeveless navy dress features a high neckline, contrast piping, and a keyhole cutout on the back. Swiatek’s Asics Gel Resolution 8 shoes are considered the most stable and durable women’s tennis shoes on the market in 2021.

Paula Badosa, one of six debutantes at the 2021 WTA Finals, represents Nike with the Winter Victory Tank and Advantage Skirt. The blue ensemble combines a classic racerback top that includes a mini keyhole cutout and a flirty skirt with two layers of pleats.

Badosa is marching towards tennis glory in the Nike Air Zoom Vapor Pro women’s tennis shoes. This descendant of the Vapor X is the best choice for players looking for lightweight and speedy kicks.

Aryna Sabalenka also chose the blue Nike Winter Victory Tank, but the Belarusian paired it with a more subdued skirt model, a classic navy pleated silhouette.

Sabalenka’s tennis shoe of choice is the Nike React Vapor NXT, which might tip the scales as heavy, but feels rather nimble around the court, and a stiff frame along the lateral side helps keep the shoe feeling stable.

What do you think about tennis dresses at this year’s WTA Finals? Which lady looks the best in Guadalajara? Tell me in the comments below.

My take is that all of them look good, but I’d pick Paula Badosa as personal preference. I like these tiered pleated skirts and I like how it matches her simple tank. Anett Kontaveit would be my second favorite.

WTA FINALS FASHION THROUGH THE YEARS:
November 13, 2021
WTA Finals: Sakkari, Badosa dominate opening matches in Group Chichen Itza

After the first batch of round-robin matches completed in Group Teotihuacan on the first day of the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara, Group Chichen Itza action kicked off on Thursday with Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa recording victories in match-ups of the season-ending tournament debutantes.

Maria Sakkari of Greece in action during the first round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Standing out in the Adidas Marimekko Tank and Skirt, Maria Sakkari defeated Iga Swiatek 6-2 6-4 to extend her 2021 and overall head-to-head record over the Pole to 3-0. The fourth-seeded Sakkari won 96.3% points on her first serve in the match that lasted one hour and 26 minutes. The Greek broke Swiatek, the youngest player in the field, in the third and seventh games of the first set, and again for a 4-3 lead in the second set.

Spain’s Paula Badosa won ten straight games to recover from a 4-2 deficit and beat top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 6-0. The Spaniard started the year ranked 70th, while this Monday she cracked the Top 10.

Besides having a breakthrough season in her career, Badosa is also enjoying a great period in her love life. Our photographer Jimmie48 captured this wonderful moment of Paula Badosa and her boyfriend Juan Betancourt before the WTA star’s Thursday’s match.

Paula Badosa of Spain with boyfriend Juan Betancourt before her first round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Friday’s schedule at the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara features the second batch of matches in Group Teotihuacan: Karolina Pliskova vs. Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova vs. Garbine Muguruza.

This is the only time that the WTA Finals are being staged in the high-altitude Mexican city of Guadalajara. The tournament will return to Shenzhen, China, next year.

November 12, 2021
Who is Paula Badosa’s handsome boyfriend?

Paula Badosa‘s enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season, winning her first two WTA titles, reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinals at Roland Garros, qualifying for the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara, and cracking the Top 10 this week. Besides a successful tennis career, the Spanish player is also enjoying this year when it comes to love, as she’s in a happy relationship with Juan Betancourt.

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A post shared by Juan Betancourt (@juanbetancourtt)

Who is Paula Badosa’s boyfriend Juan Betancourt?

Betancourt is a 31-year-old model and actor. He was born in Havana, Cuba. His 373K Instagram followers indicate that his popularity is on par with his girlfriend’s.

His modeling career includes work for magazines such as GQ Brazil, Elle Man Vietnam, and GQ Espana. When it comes to acting, you can see him in a French movie called “The Laws of Thermodynamics”, available on Netflix.

Juan is with Badosa this week in Guadalajara

The 23-year-old Badosa was accompanied by her handsome boyfriend at Monday night’s glamorous WTA Finals draw ceremony. On his Instagram profile, Betancourt expressed her proud he was of his girlfriend’s determination and success:

How lucky I’m for being by your side when one of your biggest dreams came true. You are a clear example that with hard work, effort and sacrifice you can achieve your goals, proud of you.

When did Paula Badosa and Juan Betancourt start dating?

The Badosa and Betancourt love match is still quite new. They started dating this year.

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On September 22, Badosa wished her boyfriend a happy birthday, posting a picture of themselves posing in Times Square, New York and saying:

Happy bday to the one and only. Let’s keep growing together. Love you.

Betancourt also accompanied Badosa in Indian Wells, where she won her biggest career title to date.

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Paula’s unexpected stellar rise

The world No.10 Badosa is awaiting her first ever match at the WTA Finals, as she’s set to play top seed Aryna Sabalanka in Group Chichen Itza.

Paula Badosa of Spain during the draw ceremony of the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Not even in her wildest dreams did Badosa believe she could go this far in 2021:

At the beginning of the year I remember having a conversation with my coach after Abu Dhabi, my first tournament. He said, ‘You keep playing like this, for sure you’re going to get the top 30.’

I was like, That’s impossible to finish the year top 30. Top 50, I can sign here. Imagine I finished the year top 10. What can I say? Yeah, I didn’t even expect it. Even less expected to be here in the WTA Finals.

For more stories about the love lives of tennis stars, visit my WTA Players and their Love Partners page.

November 10, 2021