Life didn’t get easier or more forgiving for Paula Badosa. She just got stronger and more resilient. She endured a career-threatening injury but, poised to reverse her fate, the Spaniard moved mad tough to ultimately reach her maiden Slam semifinal at the Australian Open. However, those results rode on the back of her retirement contemplation from months before.

Badosa sustained a stress fracture in her back during her Italian Open campaign in May 2023. When her body didn’t respond well to treatments, she took cortisone shots just to resume touring. Regardless, the doctors were clear. Continuing her career would be “complicated” and that phase slowly turned more sour when she returned for her home event, the Madrid Open. An out-of-option Badosa, with a little push from her team and changes made to her fitness and wellness camp, returned to the winners’ joint.

Lifting the Citi Open crown last year, her first title in two and a half years, gave her hope and she came back even stronger for the 2025 season. The Spanish star outclassed American Coco Gauff en route to the semifinals before her defence came short against “best friend” Aryna Sabalenka. Now, having arrived in the Middle East for the Abu Dhabi Open with an impressive 30 out of her last 39 match win record, Badosa opened up about considering retirement after struggling to position herself on the WTA.

On February 5th, she told the ‘The National’ at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open: “I was close, I was close to retirement. What kept me going is that I always had that faith in myself of keep believing, like just give it one more try, one more try. And I think also what kept me going was the passion I have for tennis. I love it.”

“After Madrid was really tough, but I remember making a few changes in my team and mentally I think I’m that kind of personality or character that when I have tough moments, I bring the best out of me, and it’s when I have more strength. So for me, going through that phase in my career and then doing what I did after a few months, I’m incredibly proud of myself,” she added.

After peaking at her highest World No. 2 record in 2022, Badosa also faced immense pressure to keep up with the expectations that came with it.

Paula Badosa expresses feeling ‘confident’ after navigating past poignant struggles

Spanish superstar Paula Badosa re-entered the top 10 in rankings with her triumphant AO finish last month. However, before taking a huge leap from her lowest-ever 140 rank drop last year, the Spaniard peaked at World No. 2. Though now accustomed to the pressure, the 27-year-old had to learn things the hard way nearly three years ago.

Badosa told the reporters in Abu Dhabi: “It’s different [compared to how I feel now]. In that moment it was very extreme for me, because I went from nobody, let’s say, 70 in the world, and less than a year I was two. for me it was, wow, all of a sudden everyone knows me, I’m a big target, a lot of expectations that I wasn’t used to. You can have expectations as a junior but it’s not the same. It’s like the real life when you’re professional.”

“So for me right now it’s totally different. I’ve been through everything in my career and when you’ve been through everything, I think things scare you less. And that’s a little bit the difference now, that I’m not scared,” she added.

The Abu Dhabi Open second seed will lock horns with Linda Noskova in the second round of the WTA 500 event on Wednesday, February 5.