This Monday, Paula Badosa laid the first foundations to feel competitive again. The Spanish tennis player lost this morning to the American Bernarda Pera in her debut at the WTA 500 in Adelaide (Australia). However, the Catalan has returned to competition after being away from the slopes for six months.
The number 74 in the women's ranking had not played an official match since the second round of Wimbledon 2023 against the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, when she had to withdraw due to a stress fracture in her spine. All in all, Badosa managed to start the match against Pera in the best possible way today, as she took over the first set, although she finally ended up succumbing to her rival in three sets (6-2, 2-6 and 3-6 ).
Bernarda Pera became strong in the second set, achieving an early break and becoming strong with her serve. The 79th best racket in the world in the women's team had a 77% success rate on her first serve compared to a 71 for the Spaniard, who accumulated five double faults to only three for the American.
“I have never been more excited to come back and start the year. I want to return to the highest level as soon as possible. I know it will be hard because there have been many months in which I have not played,” Badosa acknowledged this Sunday at a press conference. “Accepting all this has been very difficult, especially mentally, because as I always say, I love playing tennis and I love competing,” she added about her recovery process.
In addition, the player from Begur also explained her "dream" of "winning a Grand Slam": a goal that she will always have in mind "until the day I retire." The Spaniard will have the opportunity to play next week in the first major. of the season, the Australian Open, something she was unable to do last year due to muscle problems. These ailments also prevented her from playing in the semifinals of the WTA 500 in Adelaide in 2023, after defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia.
