Paula, great things will come from this path

Paula Badosa has once again demonstrated that when her physical condition allows, she is one of the best tennis players in the world. Despite the fact that the Spanish player fell to Coco Gauff in the second round of the US Open 2026 with a score of 6-4 7-6(5), her game was brilliant for most of the match, making this the path to follow to return to the top positions of the WTA ranking and compete for the major titles.

The last few months have not been easy for the Spanish player, as back pain and various physical issues have hindered her ability to be as consistent as she would like. However, matches like today are what show her mentally that she is still in the game, and that she cannot give up now that little by little the fruits of all the work and sacrifice she has had to make are becoming visible. Gauff, for her part, showed why she is one of the main contenders to lift the title in New York, overcoming Badosa's strong start and sealing her passage to the third round, where she will face another Spanish player: Cristina Bucsa.

Badosa shows green shoots in the first set

The start of the match was a demonstration of why Paula plays so well against Gauff. Very comfortable on serve and even having a break point on return that the American saved to keep the score tied. Badosa started strongly, putting pressure with her flat shots against a Coco who was not hurting the Spaniard with her heavy forehand.

Paula's backhand was key to understanding her superiority, although in a moment of distraction she made more errors than usual and it was the world number 4 who managed to break to take 4-3 and serve. From that moment on, Gauff surged and was relentless on serve, while Badosa lost her focus, which resulted in a 6-4 that put the American in the lead.

Gauff and Badosa unleash the excitement

The second set began in the worst possible way, as Gauff managed to break in the third game after another failed drop shot from Badosa, the same shot with which she had conceded the break in the first set. A very tough blow to digest that would haunt the Spanish player throughout the set. Unlike in the first set, this time Badosa did not seem to trouble Coco on return, largely due to the great serves being delivered by the American.

It's true that Badosa did not suffer too much on serve either, but she could not find the game that would make Gauff tremble to equal the score. That moment arrived at 3-4, with a 0-40 that she earned herself with two incredible passing shots. On the first, she was unlucky, but on the second, she surprised Coco again while coming to the net to make it 4-4. To top it off, shortly after, the Spanish player saved a 15-40 with bravery and great shots. However, at 5-5, Gauff raised her game and achieved a break that seemed definitive, until Paula brought out her best shots to take the match to a tiebreak.

Badosa comes close to an epic comeback

At this point, there was no room for more drama. Arthur Ashe was a pressure cooker that exploded with joy with every point from Gauff, but Badosa joined the celebration with powerful shots from the baseline that began to frustrate Coco. However, the American held firm amidst the storm and managed to seal her spot in the next round in the tiebreak after a memorable performance from both.

Even so, the Spanish player can scarcely be blamed, as at this level, there is no doubt that good results will eventually come. Despite the loss, this match is one of those that can mark a turning point in her play, so we must keep a close eye on her evolution over the coming weeks and hope eagerly that she continues to rise in the ranking, where she already belongs to the top 70.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Paula, por este camino llegarán grandes cosas