One of Ash Barty’s key rivals has named her as the player to beat on the WTA Tour as she drew comparisons between the Australian and tennis great Roger Federer.
Paula Badosa, who is currently ranked fifth in the world, described Barty’s win at the Australian Open last month as ‘incredible.’ At the Grand Slam the world No.1 became the first home player to win the women’s title in Melbourne Park for more than 40 years and didn’t drop a set throughout the entire tournament. Barty is currently on a 11-match winning streak after also triumphing at the Adelaide International at the start of her season.
Speaking to reporters in Dubai over the weekend, Badosa was asked by one journalist who she perceives as the biggest challenge currently in the women’s game. Prompting the Spaniard to praise Barty’s game style.
“I think all the tennis players are going to give you the same name, right? I think Ashleigh Barty. When I saw her win in Australia it was incredible. I told my coach that I wanted to play her again to see how it feels,” Punto de Break quoted Badosa as saying. “She makes everything easy. The tough matches, she makes it easy. It’s amazing how she plays tennis. She’s like Federer on the men’s tour. She does everything with a lot of flow and very easy. I think she’s the one to beat.”
Badosa played Barty twice last year on the clay with their head-to-head currently split at 1-1. She won their encounter in Charleston before later losing to the multiple Grand Slam champion at the Madrid Open. Barty is the only player she has ever beaten when they were ranked No.1.
Another player to receive high praise from Badosa is Rafael Nadal who she names as her ‘idol’ in the sport. Nadal won a historic 21st major title at the Australian Open by coming back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev. It was only the second tournament the Spaniard had played in since returning to the Tour following a foot injury, as well as recovering from COVID-19 which he caught in December.
“It was amazing to see him win a match after losing the first two sets. It’s not really surprising because it’s Rafa, but he did it against the number two in the world. I have no words,” she reflected. “Nadal is an inspiration to me. He is my idol. Seeing him do this gives me goosebumps. He is a very important person for our country (Spain) and for the world of sport. I hope that neither Nadal, Federer or Djokovic will retire from professional tennis. They are amazing.”
The 24-year-old returns to action this week at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she will be the third seed after Barbora Krejčíková and Ariana Sabalenka. Badosa has started 2022 in solid form by winning her third Tour title in Sydney before going on to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open in what was her best-ever run at the major event.
“Last year I finished the season at a great level. You always have pressure because of the many expectations that they have around you. People are, like, seeing what you are going to do this year,” she explained.
“Of course, I have that pressure. And It’s going to be like this all year long, but I have to stay calm and play at my best. I played at a very good level in Australia. I played a lot of matches. I’m confident. Playing well. Of course, I’ll always be one of the favorites, but I enjoy this kind of pressure.”
Badosa will begin her Dubai campaign against a qualifier or lucky loser.
