Badosa: "I have been through very tough times, when you don't see the point of life"
The Spanish player opens up in a press conference about her mental struggle: "From the outside, you don't see the really tough moments."
Today, Paula Badosa's emotions on the court went beyond the screen from start to finish in a battle full of emotions where the Spanish player's struggle prevailed to achieve a comeback that means the whole world to her. After having to withdraw from several consecutive tournaments, the Spanish player returned to the court and regained her smile with an exceptional triumph over Naomi Osaka at Roland Garros 2025.
Minutes after leaving the court, still with the adrenaline in her voice, Badosa analyzed in a press conference her comeback against the Japanese player, drawing inspiration from Rafael Nadal. Furthermore, Paula clarified whether she felt back pain during her first match at the French Grand Slam and opened up about her mental struggle.
Inspired by Rafa Nadal
"In the end, I lost the first set, but the level was very high, which can sometimes be deceptive. I looked at the scoreboard at that moment and tried to follow in Rafa's footsteps a bit. It's not the first time this came to my mind. He has always been someone I look up to. I was consistent, I thought: 'If she wants to beat me, make her spend three hours on the court.' I was a bit hesitant because I didn't know if I could last three hours, but my mindset wanted it to be that way."
Have you felt back pain?
"The truth is, I've been doing very well with my back for two weeks now. Physically, I need to get back in shape. I was surprised today because I sustained a fairly high intensity. Let's see how I wake up tomorrow, but my back is really fine from the pain now."
Mental health
"We experience a lot of emotions in this sport, there are very, very tough moments. From the outside, that's not visible. I've been through very difficult moments, where life didn't seem to make sense. When you're in those moments, it feels like it's only happening to you. It's very important that the topic is talked about more and more. It's something that Naomi has also done."
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Badosa: "He pasado por momentos muy duros, en los que no le ves sentido a la vida"