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Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa has shared a deeply personal and inspiring message with her fans as she continues to battle through a challenging injury layoff from the WTA Tour.
The 27-year-old, who returned to the top ten earlier this year after multiple setbacks, has been sidelined with recurring lower back issues. Her most recent tournament appearance came at Wimbledon, where she suffered a first-round defeat to Britain’s Katie Boulter.
Badosa’s injury struggles intensified during the Berlin Open earlier this summer, when she was forced to withdraw mid-match in the quarterfinals against Wang Xinyu, explaining that she “couldn’t feel her legs.” Since then, she has not competed and has instead been focusing on recovery.
Paula Badosa's message of strength and resilience
While absent from the court, Paula Badosa took to social media platform X to share a heartfelt update, reflecting on her journey, her struggles, and the lessons she has learned along the way.
“I wasn’t built by easy days. I was shaped by the moments that broke me, the choices that didn’t go as planned, and the times I fell short of who I wanted to be,” she wrote.
The Spaniard stressed that her setbacks were not signs of weakness but crucial parts of her growth:
"My setbacks weren’t signs that I was weak; they were necessary chapters in a story that’s still being written. Failure taught me what success never could. It humbled me. It forced me to look inward, to ask hard questions, to rebuild with more intention and clarity."
Finding purpose in pain
Paula Badosa went on to describe how her mistakes and disappointments have shaped her both as a player and as a person:
"Every mistake I made sharpened my understanding of who I am and who I’m not. And while I once feared those mistakes, I now see them as some of my greatest teachers."
She admitted there were moments when she felt she had lost everything — her confidence, her direction, and her sense of worth — but in hindsight, she realised that she was only shedding what no longer served her.
"Every loss gave space for growth. Every closed door redirected me toward a better one. I’m not proud of every moment in my past, but I am proud of the person those moments created."
A fighter’s mentality
Despite her injury-induced absence, Paula Badosa’s words revealed a fighter’s mindset. She concluded her message with a powerful statement that reflects her determination to return stronger:
"I don’t run from failure anymore. I respect it because it’s the reason I stand here… Stronger, wiser, and still becoming."
Her post resonated with fans around the world, many of whom praised her openness and vulnerability during one of the toughest phases of her career. While her exact return date remains uncertain, her mental resilience suggests that Paula Badosa will not only be back — but back with renewed strength and purpose.
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