Badosa: "I have learned that I am stronger than I thought"

After living a Sunday full of emotions with those two medals in the Olympic Games, Spanish tennis still had a joy to give itself. It happened past midnight, and the news reached us from WTA 500 in Washington. There we saw Paula Badosa crowned after a dramatic final, but she finally prevailed to capture the fourth title of her career and face the post-match press conference with the biggest of her smiles. Very emotional moments for the Spanish player who had a tough time in recent months. Here is the reward for her effort.

First title in two and a half years

“This means a lot. Today was a very difficult day for me because I really wanted to win this title, no matter what. It was very emotional; I finally did it, and I am super proud of myself. I couldn't be happier after winning this title. Now I need to calm down a bit, appreciate this moment because I am very grateful for it. Today was a very tough battle, in my case a mental battle to break barriers. I am looking forward to the next tournament to take on new challenges.”

Surpassing herself

“What I am most proud of myself is seeing how I handled this week, how I managed the difficult moments, the moments of pressure. I think there were some quite tough ones, especially in the quarterfinals and also today in the final. I am very proud of how I dealt with them. What I have learned is that I am stronger than I thought, so I am going for it; good things always come with a title. Many times I have doubted myself, I think I shouldn’t do that, what I need is to keep believing.”

A different victory

“Perhaps this is the most special moment, I have been through a lot of things in recent times. There were many people who stopped believing in me; I had to fight through that, work to keep believing in myself. Especially, I think I did a good job with my team, who was always there supporting me and believing in me. That moment for me was very important, one of the most special in my career. Of course, the day I won Indian Wells will always be there, but it was a different situation. Here, I fought with myself and my thoughts; that is one of my best victories.”

Her situation twelve months ago

“A year ago, I was on the couch, so there is a big difference. Now I am an athlete again, winning a title over two years later means a lot. What it also means is that I played four finals and won all four, that was on my mind during the third set; I knew I was capable of doing it again in another final, even under pressure. Now, I am in a very good place; before the tournament, I already felt good, I felt confident. I needed to win a big title for myself; due to my personality, I am not always happy with just making a final or a semifinal, I want to win titles. I am very perfectionist, which can be depressing at times, but in crucial moments, I think it gives me an edge.”

Closer to the desired level every time

“Before the tournament, I already felt that I was at a pretty high level because, as I said, I am playing against the best players again; I am not far from them, I was very close at one point. I think I am on the right track, I don’t want to say that I am back because I don’t know, I want to test myself a little more, but I think I am on the way. Most importantly, I am motivated, my body responds. In a way, we can say that I am back.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Badosa: “He aprendido que soy más fuerte de lo que pensaba”