In a shocking twist of events at the 2025 Italian Open, Paula Badosa was compelled to withdraw barely moments before taking the court for her second-round duel against Naomi Osaka.
The Spaniard, ranked ninth in the WTA 1000 tournament, blamed her persistent lower back injury for forcing her to withdraw at the last minute.
Paula Badosa’s Ongoing Back Injury Continues To Disrupt Her Season
Badosa’s retirement in Rome is the latest in a physically troubled season. The former World No. 2 has been dealing with an ongoing lower back issue that’s ended numerous of her title runs at big events during 2025.
Most recently, she withdrew from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Madrid Open, and retired in the Miami Open before a fourth-round match. Her most recent comeback bid at the Foro Italico was to be a new beginning, but again, her body had something else in store.
Badosa had been awarded a first-round bye and was set to take on the four-time Grand Slam winner in what would have potentially been their WTA Tour match-up. Instead, lucky loser Viktorija Golubic filled in as a replacement but could not stop Osaka, eventually going down in three sets.
Just after the news of her pullout was announced, on May 8, Badosa posted a powerful message to her fans on Instagram Stories.
“Turn the pain into power,” she wrote.
Paula Badosa Made Raw Confession About Struggles With Recurring Back Injury
Paula Badosa provided candid testimony regarding her chronic back injury, owning up to the fact that it’s a day-to-day struggle that impacts her game and psychological well-being. Interviewed by Eurosport, she explained how she wakes up every morning fearing that it may be her final day on the court. The most challenging thing, she told them, is not knowing how her body will react every day.
“Every day I wake up feeling scared. I’m not kidding, this week I had to text Pol Toledo at 5:00 a.m. because I couldn’t sleep. I can’t cope with the uncertainty of whether my back will be okay that day or whether I’ll be able to live a normal life. Mentally, that’s what’s been the hardest for me,” Paula Badosa said.
“There’s always going to be a bit of risk, that’s what bothers me the most. In Miami, I remember feeling really good in the first match. I’d been playing sets for a week without any problems, but after the sixth game, I got a pain and went crazy. I’m a very emotional person; I didn’t know if the pain was serious, if it was due to stress, or just a bad move,” she added.
Badosa admitted that each flare-up makes her decide whether to retire or grind it out, fighting both her adversary and her body.
“In those moments, you’re lost. I thought: either I retire or I try to keep going. Of course, often by not retiring, you’re making it even worse. There are times when I find myself not even playing with the opponent; it’s frustrating,” she said.
