There was a time when the doctors had told Paula Badosa that it would be “very complicated” for her to continue her career without cortisol injections. Simultaneously, she found herself outside of the Top 100 in the women’s singles ranking. Although Badosa feels the injections are working pretty well, she still feels the pain at times. And as they rightly say, giving up was never an option for this Spaniard! Enter Pol Toledo Bague, who has seen her struggles from a close distance. It’s time to raise a toast for him, echoes Badosa’s recent tribute.

What a turnaround this has been from Paula Badosa! Just before the start of the North American hardcourt swing, her best record in this season was reaching the QF at the Bad Homburg Open. Now, she has not only clinched a title in Washington but also managed to reach her first WTA 1000 SF in more than two years. Although she lost that Cincinnati SFs match to Jessica Pegula, her resurgence to the top tier has now become the talk of the town. Badosa recently became a bit emotional while recalling an unsung hero in her journey to a dream comeback.

This incredible run has now pushed her into the Top 30. One of the fans recently highlighted her incredible comeback on his X handle by shedding light on the contribution of Pol Toledo Bague, her coach, who joined her team after the departure of Javier Marti in August 2021. Referring to the same, the fan noted, that it’s been a stop-start season for Paula, and when she’s back on court, it’s clear her team has made adjustments.

Expanding on his previous tweet, the fan further added, “I think it is time to mention (and recognize) the role of Pol Toledo. Paula Badosa has had good results lately due to many factors and one of them is him. Not only the preparation of the pre-match strategy but also the adjustments after a rain break.” Badosa later on acknowledged the fan’s point of view and came up with a reply in his comment box.

She wrote, “I couldn’t agree more. What a great analysis on your part. People tend to praise the player but without the coach behind him, it wouldn’t be the same. He is the most important part of my professional career. One of the best people and professionals I have ever had. @PolToledoBague.(Translated from Spanish)”

Both of them have been in the headlines quite a few times in the past. While there are good times, there isn’t always sunshine.

Paula Badosa wasn’t too happy with her team during the SF match in Cincinnati

Tensions were high and so were the stakes. Badosa was looking to secure a spot in the finals of the Cincinnati Masters, however, she was seen struggling a bit to keep her calm in that match. Pegula took the first set by 6-2 but Badosa came back strongly in the second. However, rain God had other plans altogether. She was literally frustrated with the interruption and was seen engaging in a lengthy conversation with her team. Things were looking a bit tense for the Spanish camp, tensions were clearly portrayed on her face.

She was possibly asking her coach to provide her with more inputs to break the rhythm of Jessica Pegula. Perhaps she was also complaining a bit about her troubles during the returns, but Pol Toledo handled the situation calmly and advised her to keep her composure. However, Badosa lost her cool several times in that match and eventually faced a defeat to Pegula by a 2-6,6-3,3-6 margin. However, this isn’t the first time that she has been running the headlines with her coach.

Previously in March this year, she thanked her coach for his constant support. Badosa tweeted, “Special thank you to this person @PolToledoBague for being next to me at my toughest moments and helping me every day. We will make it.” Even Toledo replied in that post saying, “Seeing that you can go back to enjoying your day-to-day life is a reward and it is the one that makes it easy to reach where you deserve to be.”

Then again, during the 2024 Charleston Open, Paula Badosa shared a picture with her sister Jana, and coach Pol Toledo, which had caught the eyes of several tennis fans. With the US Open knocking at the doors, it will be interesting to see if yet again, Toledo can help Badosa make a dream run on American soil.