Badosa faces this Australian Open with realism: "I know I lack rhythm"

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Paula Badosa smiles to be back at the Australian Open, where she was happy in 2025 reaching the semifinals. What will destiny hold for her in this edition? For now, the crucial thing is that her physical condition seems to be under control.

And that has been the most important aspect since practically the beginning of her professional career. Paula Badosa reached World No. 2, has won four WTA titles, and is a Grand Slam semifinalist. We know this, but what we don't know is how many more accomplishments she could have achieved if injuries had been kinder to her. At 28 years old, she must carry this burden, always seeking solutions and working hard daily so that her body doesn’t become her main enemy again. Prior to the 2026 Australian Open, the Spaniard spoke to Eurosport to share her feelings upon arriving in Melbourne.

The conversation couldn't start without mentioning Paula's last memory of this tournament, when she broke her ceiling last January by reaching the semifinals for the first time in a Grand Slam event. “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,” acknowledges the current World No. 26.

Her calendar couldn't have started better, until things took a turn. Once again, her body started playing tricks on her, and she couldn't overcome them all. With an 18-14 record, Badosa could barely play three matches from July to November, which is why another inevitable topic in the interview was related to her health.

“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,” adds the player from Begur after her stops in Brisbane and Adelaide, where she managed to win a match. “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,” she says optimistically.

Paula Badosa reveals what she lacks the most

Perhaps a round of 16 in Brisbane (lost to Rybakina) and a first-round exit in Adelaide (lost to Bouzkova) do not represent a great start to the year for Badosa. A victory in two tournaments? Exactly the same path as in 2025, just before making it to the top four of the Australian Open. The Spaniard clings to the thought that something similar could happen again, although she speaks from experience, the perspective of someone who understands the difficulty of progressing deep in a Grand Slam event.

“Each tournament is different. I am aware that I come from a situation where I was inactive for many months, I am the first one who knows what she faces. I lack a lot of competitive rhythm, I feel it when I'm on the court, but I also know that with each tournament, I will feel a bit better. Ultimately, what I need is many matches and hours on the court,” evaluates the player who will face Kazakhstani Zarina Diyas in the first round.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Badosa afronta con realismo este Open de Australia: “Sé que me falta ritmo”