“We Were Very Messed Up” – Paula Badosa’s Coach Lays Bare Her Gritty Fight Against Pain and Overwhelming Setbacks

Paula Badosa’s journey back to the courts has been anything but easy. A recurring lower back injury first hit her in Rome 2023, leaving her with two fractured vertebrae. This injury led her to withdraw from the 2023 French Open. After a long road to recovery, she made a strong comeback in 2024 by winning the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open. But the pain came back again in Merida in March 2025, leading to painful withdrawals the Indian Wells (ahead of R64) and Miami (after reaching the last 16). However, the latest heartbreak came in Madrid. Just before her opening match, the injury sidelined her once again. Even with all these setbacks, Badosa is not the kind to back down. Her coach, Pol Toledo Bague, has been highlighting her fighting spirit every step of the way.

Their story goes back a few years. On August 12, 2021, Paula Badosa ended her eleven-month coaching partnership with Javier Martí. This announcement came the day after her defeat to Rebecca Marino in the round of 16 at the Canadian Open. Then came her partnership with a new coach, Jorge García, who guided Badosa through Indian Wells title and a career-high ranking of No.2 in April 2022! However, ahead of 2023 Indian Wells, she parted ways with García.

That was also the moment when things looked even darker. Doctors had warned Badosa that it would be “very complicated” for her to continue playing without cortisol injections. At the same time, she slipped out of the Top 65 in the women’s singles rankings. Even though she says the injections are helping her, the pain didn’t disappeared completely. She knew it was time for change.

Ahead of that year’s Stuttgart Open, Paula Badosa announced a completely revamped team. As shared on social media, her technical coaching will be handled by Edu Esteve and Pol Toledo, while Jordi Verdaguer will serve as her fitness trainer, and Juan Carlos Vargas will be her physiotherapist. It took a few months before its impact was visible.

2024’s first 7 months were a tale narrated by early exits and withdrawals due to injury. Then came her fourth career title and her second at the WTA 500 level at the Washington Open in August. With this, she returned to the top 50 in the rankings after 47 weeks, to No. 40. After beginning the season ranked No. 66 and falling as low as No. 140 in May, Paula Badosa staged a remarkable comeback to finish the year at No. 12. This impressive resurgence earned her the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award. As they say, giving up was never in the script for the Spaniard.

Even with all the injury troubles, 2025 brought some big moments for Badosa. She made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open, which was an improvement over her quarterfinal runs at the 2021 French Open and the 2024 US Open. It’s clear the 27-year-old is still chasing greatness, even if her body doesn’t always cooperate. Pol Toledo Bague’s seen her struggles closely, and his admiration for her has only grown.

Speaking to Eurosport on April 27 in Madrid, he was asked, “What is the biggest lesson you have learned from Paula?” He responded, “How brave and strong she is, above all strong. Last year we were really messed up, it was hard to keep going, but she did. To this day, I would never give her up for dead; she gives her life for this sport, she’s all-out. That’s what surprised me most, her passion for this sport; tennis is everything to her. Winning makes her so happy that all she thinks about is getting better so she can have that feeling again.”

Fans haven’t missed the coach’s impact either. After watching her comeback in 2024, where she stormed back into the Top 30 and won in Washington, one fan praised Pol Toledo on X. They wrote, “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 herself didn’t hold back her emotions when replying. 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)”

Of course, even strong partnerships have their fiery moments.

When Paula Badosa got angry at her coach

At the Australian Open earlier this year, Paula Badosa found herself in a tough match against the 17th seed, Marta Kostyuk. After taking the first set 6-4, she went 0-5 down in the second. Frustration took over. During a changeover, she shouted at her box, complaining about the wind, and even offered them her racket, almost daring them to play instead.

Badosa did rally to win four games in a row, but the hole was too deep. Kostyuk closed the second set 6-4 and then won the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Many thought she was lashing out at her boyfriend, Stefanos Tsitsipas, but it turned out she was actually venting at Pol Toledo. The coach later admitted he had been “provoking” her to fire her up for the battle ahead.

Now, with her clay season put on hold, Badosa once again finds herself in a fight with her own body. The Spaniard’s story is one of resilience, loyalty, and sheer love for the game. Will Paula Badosa come back even stronger this time, too?