‘Look Up to Them as Inspiration’ – Paula Badosa Applauds Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz for Their Defining Strength

In sports, one of the crucial aspects of becoming a champion is dealing with pressure. It is the tough moments that decide the winners and losers, with the margins between them reducing day by day. Ask the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are ruling men’s tennis at the moment. During the course of their careers thus far, both Sinner and Alcaraz have dealt with pressure moments calmly, giving their best always. As a result, Spanish beauty, Paula Badosa, was all praise of the duo.

Badosa has had a decent start to the 2025 season, and she reached the semifinal of the Australian Open, where she lost against Aryna Sabalenka in the last-four clash. Subsequently, she appeared on the Tennis Insider Club podcast’s episode which was released on Sunday.

During the conversation there, Badosa talked about various topics, from her career to the mental challenges she faced in the sport. One such topic discussed was about the handling of the pressure moments, during which she praised Alcaraz and Sinner.

Badosa revealed, “Sometimes, I look up to them as inspiration because they deal with it and that’s unbelievable. Like smiling all the time, how is this possible? I think Jannik and Carlitos are very similar and they are an inspiration for us, dealing it with that way and it is the proper way to do it.”

Interestingly, it was this very quality that helped Sinner win his first Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open. Following his win, he talked about how the change in his attitude helped him win his maiden Grand Slam title.

Earlier, the Italian star couldn’t handle tough situations and often succumbed to pressure, but he changed the way how he looked at these moments. “My mindset was not great, and I promised myself this attitude won’t happen again. It was time to try my best with a smile. There is pressure, obviously, but pressure is a privilege,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sinner is one of the mentally strong players on the tour. During an interview, he explained his mental approach while being on the tour.

Jannik Sinner on dealing with expectations

Last year, the Italian star won the Australian Open and the US Open titles, apart from other big titles. Additionally, he also reached the number 1 ranking for the first time in his career. With this, expectations from the fans also rose as Sinner put on a consistent show right throughout the season.

Talking about his mental approach to the game, Sinner said, “We always try to improve day by day and I feel like the result is coming in what level you’re playing throughout the season, how consistent you are as a player. You also have to be ready mentally to do that. So we just try to stay in the present moment. We know what we have done this season, which is great for me. But every match we see we can improve, which is very good.”

Earlier this year, Sinner lived up to the expectations and defended his Australian Open crown. Subsequently, he’ll be rearing to go to the Qatar Open, which will be his first tournament after his victory Down Under.