“I didn’t expect playing this well” – Badosa surprised by her level at Australian Open
Paula Badosa has begun her Australian Open campaign with two straight set victories, having not won since Wimbledon
Virginie Bouyer / Panoramic
Former world No 2 Paula Badosa has waltzed through the first two rounds of the Australian Open so far.
The wins are Badosa’s first since Wimbledon 2023, with the Spaniard returning to the WTA Tour this January after taking seven months off due to a back injury. Having lost early in her only warm-up tournament in Adelaide, the 26-year-old has surprised even herself with her level so far in Melbourne.
“I didn’t expect [to be] playing this well, maybe this early after seven months’ break,” Badosa said after her 6-2, 6-3 victory over world No 46 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. “But I’m pretty happy. Let’s see how my body – as I always say – reacts tomorrow. But I’m feeling pretty well, so I’m happy with that.”
Badosa is currently ranked No 100 in the world, having been a consistent feature in the world’s top five for the majority of 2022.
“I think mentally I’m working very hard, and I’m doing a hard work there,” said Badosa of her return to the game.
Badosa unhappy with current ranking, eager to climb
While she has just claimed back-to-back victories over players ranked higher than her, the three-time WTA titlist admitted she finds her current ranking a bitter pill to swallow.
“It’s not easy for me to see, to accept where I am right now, my ranking. I’m pretty proud. I want to get on top as fast as possible.
“I’m working very hard. I worked very hard in the pre-season, as well. I think in this case, it’s how my body reacts. I hope my back, it’s okay for the next months. I think my level will talk.”
In a light-hearted moment, Badosa explained why she believes she’s had such success at the Australian Open so far:
“Maybe my talent?”
