Paula Badosa has vented her frustration at a social media remark accusing her of ‘disrespecting the game’ by withdrawing or retiring from tournaments.
The former world No.2 received criticism following her exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. Badosa was down 4-6 to seventh seed Elina Svitolina before retiring from the match due to a right thigh injury. It is the fifth time she has been forced to retire from a Tour-level match within the past 12 months. According to the editor of the Spanish website Punto de Break, José Morón, Badosa has retired from a match 37 times during her career.
28-year-old Badosa has struggled with her fitness in recent years and has been troubled by a long-time back injury. At one point, she was contemplating retiring from the sport due to the issue.
After her latest match, Badosa hit back at a post on social media platform X which said she was ‘disrespectful to the game‘ and she ‘cannot retire/withdraw from every tournament.’
“You have no idea what it’s like to live with a chronic injury and still choose to keep going. To wake up every day not knowing how your body will respond, searching for solutions, and fighting for something you love and give everything even when it’s so difficult,” Badosa responded.
“Trust me I’m the first one suffering with pain and having endless nightmares to try to find solutions every single day and for me after all stepping on a tennis court, makes worth everything every time. So I’ll keep trying. Because it’s all about trying and that won’t change. I’ll always try one more time.”
Last week, Badosa also withdrew from the Qatar Open due to discomfort in her hip. Since the start of this season, she has won just two out of seven matches played. She is currently ranked 70th in the world.
“I’m doing this for my passion and for myself. And if there’s even a 1% chance to keep going, I’ll take it. That’s just how I see and understand life,” Badosa continued.
“I won’t retire (from tennis),” she added.
This year’s Dubai tennis championships have been affected by a high number of player withdrawals and retirements. The two highest-ranked women’s players, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, both pulled out shortly before the event began. Prompting criticism from Dubai’s tournament director. On the same day as Badosa’s retirement, three other players either retired or withdrew from their matches due to various issues.
