MADRID — Paula Badosa, the ninth seed at the Mutua Madrid Open and a favorite among the home crowd, has withdrawn from the tournament. Citing a persistent lower back injury, the Spanish player pulled out of her scheduled second-round match on Friday. Her place in the draw was subsequently taken by lucky loser Cristina Bucsa, another Spanish player, who was set to compete against Veronika Kudermetova.
Badosa`s withdrawal wasn`t entirely unexpected, as she had openly acknowledged before the event began that she was not at 100% fitness. The recurring back issue has been a significant challenge for her, troubling the former world No. 2 for nearly two years. Questions about the state of her injury were a common theme during her media appearances leading up to the tournament.
Describing the difficult period she has endured due to the nerve-related pain, Badosa shared with wtatennis.com:
“My back is good, slowly getting better. It’s been a tough injury, honestly, this one because it was totally different from the last one. It was an injury that was touching the nerves, so I was constantly having pain. My normal life was a disaster, honestly — I couldn’t even move from the couch.”
After reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 2 three years ago, Badosa`s progress was significantly hampered by the back problem, which forced her to miss the final five months of the 2023 season. She showed promising signs of recovery early in 2024, achieving a semifinals berth at the Australian Open which helped her regain a position in the Top 10.
However, since the Australian Open, the injury has continued to impact her performance and schedule. She was forced to retire from her second match in Merida, Mexico, skipped the prestigious Indian Wells tournament, and withdrew via a walkover from her Round of 16 match in Miami, with the persistent back issue being the reason cited for these setbacks.
Badosa revealed that as recently as a few weeks prior, she was still experiencing intense pain even while stationary. Fortunately, she noted that recent medical interventions have shown positive results.
“But I was lucky that the treatment, the injections that I had to do a few have worked. So, slowly getting back there, yeah.”
When asked about her current level of fitness, whether it was at 50% or 75%, Badosa admitted uncertainty but expressed hope for the future:
“I don’t know. Slowly, step by step, every day I’m feeling a bit better. Hopefully I will be my 100 percent soon. Not right now, but soon.”
