Paula Badosa hits back over ‘disrespectful’ comment after 38th retirement
Paula Badosa’s career continues to be plagued by injuries as she was forced to retire from the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships due to a leg problem, leading to one social media user accusing her of being “disrespectful to the game”.
The Spaniard took on seventh seed Elina Svitolina and made an excellent start as she broke early for a 4-1 lead, but she then required medical treatment on her leg and the Ukrainian won the next five games to take the set.
Badosa, a former world No 2 who has slipped to No 70 in the WTA Rankings, then chatted to her bench and informed the chair umpire about her retirement before heading back to the change rooms.
It was the 38th retirement/walkover result of her career – including WTA Challenger and ITF events – and ninth since the start of the 2024 season and a social media user criticised her, writing on X: “Paula Badosa is so disrespectful to the game, you just cannot retire/withdraw from every tournament.”
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But the 28-year-old hit back in a long reply on the social media site, saying: “You have no idea what it’s like to live with a chronic injury and still choose to keep going. To wake up everyday 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.
“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.
“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.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to follow me. And I’m so sorry to inform you I won’t retire so you’ll keep seeing me for a while. Change channel next time.”
Badosa suffered a career-threatening back injury in 2023 and slipped down the rankings before an incredible 2024 campaign saw her win the Comeback Player of the Year award on the WTA after finishing the year at No 12.
She briefly returned to the top 10 in 2025, but her struggles with injury continued.
The Spaniard added on X: “So for me the only disrespect here is to open this social media and read messages like this. Then we complain if we see players or people suffering and having mental health issues, but after all I’m not surprised with the amount of hate and ‘experts’ we have here.
“But anyways I want to thank the people who always supports me no matter what. Thank you for being with me in this journey and sorry for giving you this tough times. Hopefully sun will shine soon.”
