Badosa Faces Extended Absence Due to Back Injury Recurrence

Paula Badosa has announced that she will take a brief hiatus from competitive play due to a setback with her back, raising concerns about her ability to compete at the upcoming U.S. Open.

The 10th-ranked player globally and former world number two has fought her way back into the upper echelons of the WTA rankings after enduring a series of injuries, particularly a long-standing lower back condition that briefly made her consider retirement.

In her most recent appearance, Badosa faced Katie Boulter in the opening round of Wimbledon, where she was defeated with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Upon reflecting on her current state in a statement released on Monday, she disclosed that she had sustained a tear in her psoas muscle, which connects the lower spine to the upper leg.

“These moments are undeniably tough for me, but I remain optimistic that things will improve and that the light at the end of the tunnel will start to shine through,” Badosa expressed, also mentioning that the injury occurred prior to her participation in Wimbledon.

The Spanish star is slated to join Stefanos Tsitsipas in the newly formatted mixed doubles event at the U.S. Open, which is scheduled to occur a week before the singles main draw, set to run from August 24 to September 7.