Paula Badosa believes playing in a team environment during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in China will help motivate her following a two-and-a-half-month absence from the Tour.
The former world No.2 hasn’t played a competitive match since her first round loss to Katie Boulter at Wimbledon due to injury. Badosa was forced to miss the entire North American swing due to a flare-up of a back injury that has troubled her in recent years. She has been struggling with problems with her psoas, which are large muscles that run from her lumbar spine through her groin.
“It helps to come and play as a team. Coming back from injury, sometimes you feel a little alone, you have ups and downs,” the EFE news agency quoted Badosa as saying.
“Having these people by your side, your people around you, always helps, it motivates me.”
Badosa has a win-loss record of 17-11 so far this season. Her best result was at the Australian Open in January, where she reached the semi-finals before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Since then, she has reached the quarter-finals of three WTA events, as well as the fourth round of the Miami Open.
“It’s been a tough couple of months, although of course, I feel a little better every day,” she said.
“It’s never easy coming back from an injury, but I feel great with my teammates. I think in this type of competition, it’s very important to have this good atmosphere, this good team spirit.”
As to where her game is currently, the 27-year-old hopes to be back in top shape in time for the new year.
“Now I’m starting over, I’m coming back, but I know the season is also ending soon . I’m trying to feel as good as possible, although honestly, my goal is to look toward 2026,” she explained.
Spain is seeded fourth in the BJK Finals and will take on Ukraine in their opening match. They haven’t won the event since 1998, when it was known as the Fed Cup. The last time they reached the final was in 2008. Besides Badosa, the other players in the team are Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, Cristina Bucșa, Leyre Romero Gormaz and Aliona Bolsova. Carla Suárez Navarro is the captain.
