Paula Badosa suffered another injury setback during her return to competitive tennis at the China Open in Beijing. The former World No. 2 was forced to retire from her third-round match against KarolÃna Muchová on Sept. 28, 2025. The retirement marked another difficult moment in what has been a challenging season for the 27-year-old player.
Badosa had been making her comeback to tournament play after missing three months of competition due to ongoing injury problems.
What Happened in Paula Badosa’s Match Against KarolÃna Muchová at the 2025 China Open?
The match between Badosa and the 13th seed, Muchová, lasted only 35 minutes before the Spanish player was forced to retire. Badosa was trailing 4-2 in the first set when she took a medical timeout for a left thigh and groin injury.
Despite receiving treatment from medical staff, she could not continue and retired from the match in tears. The scenes were described as heartbreaking by spectators, with Badosa visibly emotional as she made the difficult decision to withdraw.
This retirement came just two days after Badosa had secured her first victory since June, defeating Antonia Ružić 6-3, 7-6(2) in the second round. That win marked her return to competitive tennis after a three-month absence from the tour. The match against Croatian was her first ranking tournament since she suffered a first-round loss against Katie Boulter at Wimbledon on Jun. 30.
Paula Badosa se retira entre lágrimas. Era su segundo partido tras su vuelta al circuito tres meses después. Parecen problemas en la ingle.
Es un calvario sin fin. pic.twitter.com/qX8fqG2db9
— David Orenes (@david_lrl) September 28, 2025
The 2025 season has been extremely difficult for Badosa due to persistent injury problems. Her year started with promise as she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open for the first time in her career. However, recurring back injuries have plagued her throughout the season.
She suffered a tear in her psoas muscle, which connects the lower back to the upper leg, during the quarterfinals of the Merida Open in February. This injury forced her to withdraw from multiple tournaments, including Indian Wells, where she was the 2021 champion.
The Spanish player missed the entire North American hard court swing, including the US Open, where she had reached the quarterfinals the previous year. She was forced to withdraw from the tournament in August due to her ongoing back problems.
MORE: Paula Badosa Dismisses Retirement Talks as She Looks to Resume Tennis Action Following Injury Woes
During the season, Badosa has struggled to find consistency on court, with her ranking dropping from the top 10 to No. 18 in the world. The constant injury setbacks have prevented her from building momentum and finding her rhythm, making it difficult to compete at her best level throughout 2025.
