Paula Badosa is feeling optimistic, considering her health heading into the first Grand Slam of the year, after her run at the Brisbane International and Adelaide International. The World No. 26, who had to end her last season early due to injuries, holds golden memories from Australia’s Melbourne Park, where she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal.
Paula Badosa Reveals Positive News Regarding Her Health and Hopes To End 2026 in Fit Form
The Spanish star last competed at the 2025 China Open, after which she did not return to the court. Despite dealing with injuries and their challenges, Badosa kept her hopes high during the testing times and returned to Brisbane, where she entered as the 15th seed but lost in the round of 16 to Elena Rybakina, ending her run.
Apart from the singles, Badosa also played doubles with her close friend, Aryna Sabalenka; the duo had last played doubles in 2022. She also played in Adelaide, exiting early with a round-of-32 defeat to Marie Bouzková, the former World No. 24.
However, during her recent interview with Eurosport, the Manhattan, New York, native revealed that she is physically fit ahead of her Australian Open title run. She added, as per Punto de Break, while also acknowledging her plans for managing her health and avoiding any more injuries:
“Physically, my body has responded very well now, and I also had a very long preseason. I have been competing for these two weeks, and my body responded well in the matches, so the feedback is positive.”
Badosa added, “Obviously, I have to monitor my physical condition daily. You all know how much I have suffered from injuries, and it’s an area I would like to improve on. Hopefully, this season I can prevent injuries and enable me to compete for many more weeks.”
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While reminiscing about her performance from last year at the Australian Open, where she reached the semifinal, eventually losing to Sabalenka, with a final score of 6-4, 6-2, Badosa expressed, admirably:
“That was an incredible tournament, one of the most beautiful moments in my professional career. I have very fond memories of that. I think I played at a very high level of tennis, started the year very well, with a lot of confidence, so it’s a joy for me to come back to this place twelve months later.”
In her first round at ‘Happy Slam’, the term coined by Swiss legend Roger Federer for Melbourne Park’s energetic, lively atmosphere, Badosa is set to face Zarina Diyas, World No. 285, in their career’s first clash.
