Simone Biles draws opinions from every corner of the sports world. She always has. And it has come from teammates to rivals, from gymnasts to footballers, legends and rookies alike. But this time, it wasn’t a gymnast who had something to say—it was Paula Badosa. The Spanish tennis star, who’s been navigating a comeback trail paved with injuries, doubts, and, yes, swirling potential wedding, had just a few words for the woman who’s reached greatness in gymnastics. But those few words?

Recently, the red carpet shimmered under the Madrid lights at Palacio de Cibeles as the world’s finest athletes gathered on April 22, 2024, for the Laureus World Sports Awards. Among them, Simone Biles—now a four-time Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year—rose once again. Not in leotards this time, but in grace, in presence, and legacy after she conquered Paris with three Olympic golds just months earlier.

In the same room, soaking in the weight of those achievements, was Paula Badosa. A tennis star whose last two years have read more like a survival memoir than a career graph, nearly halted under the weight of chronic back injuries, has returned to the Mutua Madrid Open is bittersweet, another test of her healing back and her shaken self-belief. “It’s a shame that it’s always in Madrid when I go through difficult times,” she confessed.

But that night was about the Spanish player’s visit to Gala with Stefanos Tsitsipas, her partner in sport and life, where even casual questions on colours spiraled into jokes about Greek weddings and shared futures.

“It was our first time attending a gala together, so it was really fun,” she told Tennis.com, posted later on X.. “And also that gala in particular, because it was so inspiring… I saw at the end Simone Biles. She’s an inspiration for me and for all she did in her career. She changed her sport and that’s very admiring.” Changed it—and redefined what strength looks like. Just a few years ago, Biles stepped back from Olympic events in Tokyo, choosing mental health over medals.

Other tennis players too acknowledge Simone Biles

When Simone Biles chose to step away from Olympic competition at Tokyo 2020 to protect her mental health, the world didn’t know how to react.

But the sports world? It listened and tennis, a sport so often shaped by solitary battles and silent struggles, responded with genuine reverence. Billie Jean King, who’s long been the moral compass of tennis and a relentless advocate for athlete rights, didn’t hesitate.

Speaking to The Washington Post, she singled out Biles alongside Naomi Osaka as pioneers in shifting the conversation around mental health. “I thought Simone was very brave and courageous to talk about her truth and what was going on,” King said, offering a rare and heartfelt nod from one icon to another.

Legendary Serena William—unarguably one of the most dominant figures tennis has known. Her admiration for Biles, like much of her commentary, was laced with honesty and awe. “I think all of the women are so poised. I really find them so amazing, especially Biles. Her comments, her performance, I feel like she’s 35 years old, mentally. She’s just so incredible. If anything, I wish I could be like her when I was younger,” Williams said. “Same with Miss [Simone] Manuel… It could be that society’s changed and there are so many things that are different now.”