Paula Badosa says she will fight to prolong her career as a tennis player after doctors told her that ‘it would be complicated’ to continue playing. 

The former world No.2 suffered a stress fracture in her back last year and continues to be affected by the issue. Due to the injury, she ended her 2023 season after Wimbledon and has already retired from matches three times on the Tour this season due to health issues. Although not all of those retirements were directly linked to her back problem. Her latest retirement was at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix where she managed to take a set off Aryna Sabalenka before having to call it quits in the decider. 

Speaking to reporters in Madrid on Tuesday, Badosa confirmed that doctors have told her that she may need to have cortisone shots in order to continue playing tennis. Something the tennis star is still trying to get to grips with. 

“I cried a lot and I’m still crying sometimes when I hear that and when I have talks with the doctors,” she said. 
“But at the same time, I have this personality, this character that it’s like, ‘I will still get through it, I will still keep fighting’. I’m like that, I’m a little bit stubborn. But I think maybe that in this case can help.”

Badosa has won three WTA titles so far in her career with her best Grand Slam performance being a run to the quarter-finals of the 2021 French Open. She qualified for the 2021 WTA Finals where she reached the semi-final stage. 

“Sometimes you just don’t want to accept what the doctor says and you’re like, ‘For sure they’re making a mistake’. I just try to stay positive,” she continued.
“There are some days that I wake up and I’m not feeling that well and I ask myself, ‘Is this worth it?'”

Badosa has undergone four hours of treatment every day heading into this week’s Madrid Open where she will play qualifier Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round. Maniero recently broke into the world’s top 100 and won the biggest title of her career at a Turkish WTA 125 event earlier this year. 

Anastasia Potapova beat Diana Schnaider 7-5 6-4 to reach the second round at the Madrid Mutua Open. 

Potapova earned an early break in the first game and held serve at love to take a 2-0 lead. Schnaider, who won a WTA Tour title in Hin Hin, saved a break point in the third game. Schnaider broke back in the 10^th game to draw level to 5-5. Potapova broke for the second time in the 11^th game and served out at 15 in the 12^thgame. 

Potapova converted her third break point in the first game of the second set. Schnaider broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Potapova saved five break points in the sixth game to hold serve before breaking in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Schnaider broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Potapova broke for the third time in the ninth game and sealed the win on her first match point. 

Wang Xiyu came back from one set down to beat Ana Bogdan 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2. Wan Xiyu set up a second round match against Iga Swiatek. 

Wang Xiyu broke serve in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. The Chinese converted her sixth break point in the sixth game to open up a 5-1 lead. Bogdan pulled both breaks back to draw level to 5-5. Wang Xiyu opened up a 5-2 lead. Bogdan won five consecutive points to seal the tie-break 7-5. Wang Xiyu broke serve at 15 in the first game and held serve at 15 to open up a 2-0 lead. Bogdan broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Wang Xiyu saved a match point in the 10^th game. Wang Xiyu went up a mini-break, but Bogdan pulled back on serve both times. Wang Xiyu won the final three points to seal the tie-break 7-4. 

Wang Xiyu went up a 4-0 lead with two breaks in the third game. Bogdan pulled one of the two breaks back in the sixth game. Wang Xiyu broke serve in the eighth game on her second match point.

Karolina Schmiedlova beat Sofia Kenin 6-3 6-4. Schmiedlova broke serve at love in the second game and held serve to 30 to open up a 3-0 lead. Schmiedlova served out the first set 6-3 after saving two break points in the ninth game. 

Schmiedlova broke serve at love in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Kenin broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2 lead. Schmiedlova broke at love in the eighth game before saving three break points to take a 5-3 lead. The Slovakian player served out the win on her first match point. 

Rafael Nadal has eased speculation that he might be retiring from the sport soon after signing on to play in the Laver Cup later this year. 

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is the latest player to join the line-up for this year’s team competition which features Europe taking on the rest of the world over three days. It will be Nadal’s fourth appearance in the competition and his first since 2022. He competed in the inaugural edition of the event back in 2017 alongside co-founder Roger Federer. 

“I am very happy to be playing Laver Cup in Berlin for Team Europe,” Nadal said in a press release. “I have some really special memories from my Laver Cup experiences, including all the emotions from London two years ago playing alongside Roger for the last time.”

Nadal’s decision to play comes amid questions about his future in the sport. The former world No.1 has previously indicated that this year could be his last on the Tour but he has stated that no decision has been made. In recent months he has been sidelined from action due to injury setbacks and has only been able to play in two tournaments so far this year. 

“At this stage in my career I really want to go out there and make the most of every opportunity I am given,” he explains.
“Teaming up is always an incredible experience and I have always enjoyed it, the competition is different and exciting. I’m looking forward to going to Berlin and helping Team Europe win back the Laver Cup.”

Other European players confirmed to be playing are Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul have agreed to play for Team World. This year’s event will be held in Belin at the Uber Arena between September 20-22. 

The Laver Cup was inspired by golf’s Ryder Cup. It was co-founded by Federer’s Team8 management company (which he formed with agent Tony Godsick), businessman Jorge Paulo Lemann and Tennis Australia. In 2019 it became an official ATP sanction event and now has a place on the official calendar. 

Nadal is set to return to competitive action at the Madrid Masters which he has won on five previous occasions. He has been drawn to play teenage wild card Darwin Blanch in the first round. If he wins, Nadal will then play Alex de Minaur who knocked him out of the Barcelona Open last week.