Paula Badosa’s love affair with the BNP Paribas Open is showing no signs of ending after she secured her ninth consecutive win at the tournament on Tuesday evening.
Badosa, who is seeded fifth in this year’s draw, surged past US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4, in what was their first Tour meeting since 2020. The Spaniard hit a total of 23 winners and won 67% of her service points. She broke twice in the first set and once in the second to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
“I think I’m playing every day better and better. I’m feeling my tennis is getting higher, the level. I’m very happy about today and the win,” Badosa told reporters afterwards.
It was Indian Wells where the 24-year-old won the first title of her career less than 12 months ago. In 2021 the tournament was postponed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic which paved the way for Badosa to enjoy a fairytale run. She produced five consecutive wins over seeded players, including former Grand Slam champions Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka.
Badosa’s journey on the Tour has been far from easy. A former teenage prodigy after winning the French Open girls’ title in 2015 she initially found it tough transitioning to the pro Tour. It wasn’t until four years later when she broke into the top 100 for the first time and incredibly it was only last year when she cracked the top 50.
“It was not because I didn’t want to win or I didn’t want to fight. I wanted to, but I was so frustrated that I couldn’t control my emotions,” she said of her past difficulties on the Tour.
“I was getting very negative very soon. That is what was making me not fight.”
After her frustrations, Badosa set herself a personal goal of fighting during every match which has seemed to work wonders for her in recent months. She is currently ranked seventh in the world which is three spots before her career best. In January she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time in her career.
“I was very bad mentally. I wasn’t a fighter,” she admits. “Maybe two years ago I was struggling a lot. I don’t remember exactly, but I think it was two and a half years ago I was top hundred, so it was very fast.”
“Since then I have changed a little bit. It was like a goal for me personally and a challenge that I did myself, to fight every point no matter what, no matter my feelings in the match. I’m very happy because I think I’m doing it every match, or that’s what I try.”
Now seeking to become the first woman in history to win back-to-back Indian Wells titles, Badosa will next take on Veronika Kudermetova who defeated Naomi Osaka in the second round. It will be a far from easy task for the defending champion who has lost to the Russian in all three of their previous meetings, including two last year.
Badosa is the sercond highest ranked player remaining in the draw after Poland’s Iga Swiatek.