Paula Badosa endures cringeworthy press conference as reporters lose the plot
Former world No 2 Paula Badosa was made to endure an awkward press conference at Wimbledon with a section of the press gathered seemingly unaware that she had just lost via retirement.
An already injured Badosa had to spend the first few minutes of the press conference clearing up that she had lost after retiring while trailing Marta Kostyuk in the second round at Wimbledon.
With the presser opening with a journalist saying: “Congrats on your win,” and it was always going to be downhill from there.
After her retirement through injury Badosa wasn’t really in the mood to answer questions about her form and fitness.
Badosa presented terse answers to questions that gave her little to work with before she said: “Well, I’m not feeling at my best form. I just retired, so yeah, I wish I could feel better,” with evident frustation.
She would, however, confirm that she will not be able to cotinue to compete alongisde new flame Stefanos Tsitsipas in the mixed doubles as she has suffered a recurrence of a persitent injury that has dogged her in 2023.
“No, no, I won’t be able,” Badosa replied
“The injury is the same as I have been struggling the past weeks. It’s the stress fracture.
“I tried my best to try to play here, but yesterday when I woke up I already, after my first-round match, felt it again.
“It’s a little bit worse. So I will need a few days off and talk to my team and see what I do in the next days and the next weeks.”
Badosa said that she felt fine after her opening round win but woke up in pain yesterday and stuggled with her back throughout the sit and a bit contested against Kostyuk.
“No, first match I was pretty happy because I felt okay,” Badosa said.
“After the match I spoke with my team, and I was, like, it wasn’t very bad.
“But yesterday, as I said when I woke up, I was worse. Today was worse. I wanted to give it a try in the match, but I think the smartest thing was to stop.”
Badosa says that she is grateful to have had Tsitsipas by her side throughout Wimbledon after they announced their relationship last month.
https://twitter.com/TheTennisLetter/status/1675864501198143489
“It’s amazing to have him supporting me,” Badosa said.
“As you know, we have a very good relationship. Yeah, I think we support each other and we give each other strength.
“Yeah, we’re there for each other, so it’s nice to have him. But not only in this tournament. It’s nice to have him in general.”
