Badosa: "My body is now healthy and that is the most important thing"

Andrés Tomás Rico - 2 Sep 2026 | 23:48
WTA Paula Badosa US Open 2026

The Spaniard closed her debut at the US Open with a victory a day later due to rain, while she will face Gauff in the second round.

 

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Badosa: "My body is now healthy, and that's the most important thing." Photo: Getty Images

It is always uplifting to see a sufferer like Paula Badosa, who has endured so much with her injury struggles, smile and enjoy herself on the court. For now, that’s how things are going at the US Open, where she managed to debut with a win, albeit a day later than planned due to rain. She convincingly defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4 and now awaits Coco Gauff in the second round.

But instead of discussing her next match against the newly crowned Cincinnati champion, whom she defeated in their last encounter last June on the grass of Berlin, Badosa focused on her great form during the on-court interview conducted by the organization. “I feel really good. I haven't played in the last few weeks. But now my body is healthy, and that is the most important thing.”

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Paula Badosa confessed the special relationship she has with the US Open and New York

Indeed, the player from Begur could not participate in last year's US Open due to injuries, so returning to win in the city where she was born holds a very important meaning for her: “Last year I was really, really sad because I had to miss this tournament. Especially with the great memories I have. Coming back here and winning the first round in front of all of you, it is a special city for me. I was born here. I have a special connection. A part of my heart will always be in New York.”

Despite the happiness of returning to Flushing Meadows with a victory, Badosa had to wait a day to confirm the win. Yesterday, the match was suspended with the score at 6-1, 5-4 and 40-40 in favor of the Spanish player. So she spent the whole night thinking about being just two points away from winning the match.

“Honestly, it was a terrible experience. Going to sleep with this situation… the truth is that I only slept four hours. I was very nervous because I knew it depended on me and I was very close to the end, and as a tennis player, I have always thought that closing out matches is the hardest part, but starting a match to finish it has honestly been tough for me, but it has helped me a lot,” she said in a statement to Movistar +. And it’s no surprise, as she needed nine match points to close out the match, three on the first day and six today. But she is already in the second round of the US Open, and that is the most important thing for Paula Badosa. That said, she will need to sweat against the on-form Coco Gauff.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Badosa: "Mi cuerpo ahora está sano y eso es lo más importante"