Former world No.2 Paula Badosa says she has no intention of getting involved in politics on the tennis Tour due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The 25-year-old believes sport and politics should remain separate despite the current circumstances. On the Tour, Russian and Belarussian players can only compete as neutral athletes due to the conflict. Furthermore, the two countries are currently suspended from playing in all team events. Last year Wimbledon became the first Grand Slam to ban those players from participating due to concerns the Russian government could use it as propaganda. However, this year that ban has been reversed with those players allowed to play as long as they sign a form stating they will not make any pro-Russia gestures and are not receiving any funding from their government.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek has been one of the most vocal players in the sport to speak out about the situation. Earlier this year she criticized fellow player Anastasia Potapova for wearing an FC Spartak Moscow shirt whilst walking onto the court for one of her matches in Indian Wells. The Pole has also called for more support for Ukrainian players.
However, Spain’s Badosa has described the presence of politics on the Tour as a ‘shame’ during an interview with Glamour magazine.
“Absolutely, they shouldn’t mix,” she said. “Unfortunately, they have been involved, but I will never understand it. In the end, sports and politics have nothing to do with each other and it is a shame that there is so much mixing between players.’
“We don’t know what’s out there, there are many opinions and we don’t know 100% everything either, nor will we know. In my case, I prefer to be apart and dedicate myself to mine. Politicians play politicians and athletes play athletes.”
It is not the first time Badosa has spoken out about the matter. Last year she hit out at Wimbledon’s player ban by saying that she ‘saw no sense’ in that decision.
Badosa is currently ranked 42nd in the world and has reached the quarter-finals in two out of three tournaments played on the clay so far this season. At the Madrid Open, she reached the third round before falling in straight sets to Maria Sakkari.
“The tennis circuit is one of the most intense there is. You start the year in January, in Australia, and you finish it in November, in Japan, having travelled through all the continents. It gets very intense,” she commented.
“The good thing is that I am doing what I like, which in the end is a passion. But it is still mentally very demanding.”
The demands of the schedule are one explanation for why some players experience burnout in the sport. Badosa has previously spoken out about her own mental health issues with anxiety and depression which was partly caused by the high expectations she faced at a young age. So how does she cope now?
“The most important thing is the environment you have and how you rely on them (her team) because in the end, it’s very intense.” She explained.
“You are very young and you have to mature by leaps and bounds. Sometimes your head is not prepared to withstand all that pressure, that demand of playing in front of 20,000 people, the press and yourself. Lots of things accumulate. In addition, there are social networks, which are also something that influences (a player). That is why there are players who retire, who experience anxiety, and depression.”
Badosa has won three WTA titles so far in her career.
