Paula Badosa left heartbroken after sad news days out from Roland Garros
The Spanish favourite has suffered a very poor run.
Spanish tennis favourite Paula Badosa has announced she has suffered a stress fracture in her back having only just returned from injury and will miss the French Open. Badosa has struggled with injury in 2023, which has seen the former World No.2 drop to World No.29 having missed the Australian Open with a thigh injury.
The Spaniard has only just returned to form on clay having made the quarter-finals or better at Charlestown, Stuttgart or Rome. Badosa was showing she could be a Roland Garros threat in 2023 having defeated a top 10 opponent in each of her last three tournaments.
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However, the 25-year-old Spaniard has been left devastated after she injured herself during her Italian Open run to the quarter-finals in Rome. Badosa said the blow comes just as she was finding her form ahead of what would have been her first grand slam tournament of the year.
"Just when everything seemed to be fine again, I received bad news just before starting a Grand Slam," Badosa wrote in a statement on social media. "At the tournament in Rome I suffered a stress fracture in my spine. It has been very hard news after such a difficult start of the season with injuries.
"This is going to keep me out of the competition for some weeks. Thanks to all of you who were with me no matter what. I'll keep you posted."
The Spanish champ suffered similar disappointment in Australia earlier this year when she was forced to pull out of the Adelaide International semi-final with a thigh injury. She went on to miss the Australian Open.
Fans were left devastated for the 25-year-old who was shaping to be a contender for the title in Paris, alongside Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.
Terrible news :( get well soon Paula!
— GAME TO LOVE (@GTLTennis) May 25, 2023
Get well soon @paulabadosa 🧡
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2023
Ánimo, Paula 💜
— wta (@WTA) May 25, 2023
Oh Paula! This is cruel!
— Agnieszka Debicka (@gnieszka0) May 25, 2023
Get Well Soon 💔😥
— Mark A Leonesio (@MarkLeonesio) May 25, 2023
Ajla Tomljanovic in tough French Open news
Incredibly, just as they did at the Australian Open, Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic has also withdrawn from Roland Garros on the same day as Badosa. Tomljanovic has capped off a rough day for Australian tennis after being forced to withdraw from the French Open due to a persistent knee injury.
Tomljanovic had hoped to make her return at Roland Garros but confirmed her omission at the draw for the clay court grand slam, which proved pretty rough for several of her fellow Aussies. The 46th-ranked Tomljanovic was always a slim chance at best of competing at Roland Garros but hadn't given up hope of featuring, having not played since last last year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November.
The Aussie's best result at the French Open was a fourth-round appearance in 2014, but has not made it past the second round since.
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