Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa has spoken out against intrusions into her personal life regarding her relationship with Greek tennis sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Badosa and Tsitsipas have been public about their relationship, which began when they first connected in May 2023 during the Italian Open. The two went public with their romance in June 2023.
Their relationship has come under intense scrutiny from the paparazzi and media ever since the duo went public with it. The couple experienced a brief separation in May 2024 but reconciled several weeks later, continuing their high-profile tennis romance.
Badosa, 27, disclosed some of her inner feelings on the situation during a sit-down with the Spanish edition of fashion magazine Elle.
Paula Badosa Addresses Gender Disparity in Tennis Media Coverage
Speaking to Elle, Badosa drew a contrast between men’s and women’s tennis, lamenting that the “personal side” becomes “more focused” in women’s tennis.
Asked whether she believes women’s tennis is valued as much as men’s tennis, the former World No. 2 said, “We’ve evolved quite a bit, but it can’t be denied that in women’s sports, the personal side is more focused than in men’s.”
Badosa continued, “(In women’s tennis) topics are discussed that shouldn’t even be touched upon.”
The Spanish star also admitted to being bothered “a lot” by comments about her privacy.
“But I’ve now accepted that they’re not my problem, but rather the problem of the people who spread them,” she said. “So, I can’t control them, nor can my happiness depend on something that’s in someone else’s hands.”
Ever since she began dating Tsitsipas, online critics have questioned whether her lapses in form were tied to her relationship struggles. The 25-year-old Greek player is currently ranked No. 13 in the ATP rankings and is a former Grand Slam finalist.
“I’ve managed to keep all that at bay,” she told Elle. “You know what? I’ve gotten used to it.”
Last year, Badosa, in an interview with La Vanguardia, condemned people who had claimed that her relationship with Tsitsipas might have caused her form to dip.
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“Criticism is never easy to deal with, although sometimes we find it funny because people don’t realize that we are two people who share the same passion,” she explained in the interview.
“I could understand this criticism of distraction more if it were with a person from another world, but being two athletes with a very clear objective, what I think is that people don’t even know what they are judging.”
Badosa has been dealing with a recurring lower back injury, specifically a fracture in her L4 vertebra, that has required pain-killing cortisone injections since 2023. The injury briefly caused her to drop out of the top 50 before her impressive comeback.
Paula Badosa’s Remarkable Tennis Resurgence Continues
Despite her troubles with injuries, the Spaniard has mounted an impressive comeback and won the WTA’s “Comeback Player of the Year” award in 2024. She finished the 2024 season ranked No. 12 after dropping to No. 66 in 2023 due to her injury struggles.
This year, Badosa has surged back into the top 10 of the rankings after a string of consistent performances, including a remarkable run to the semifinals at the 2025 Australian Open. She is currently ranked No. 10 in the world. However, she continues to be troubled by her recurring back injury.
At her most recent tournament in Berlin, the Spaniard was forced to retire midway through her quarterfinal match against China’s Wang Xinyu due to injury. Badosa lost the first set 6-1 before deciding she could not continue.
An exasperated Badosa was visibly upset before leaving the court, highlighting the ongoing challenges she faces with her physical condition despite her mental resilience and determination to return to the top of women’s tennis.
