Former Grand Slam semi-finalist unsure about Roland Garros return this year

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Paula Badosa has hinted that she may not take part in the French Open later this month as her struggles with back pain continue.

Tennis can be an unforgiving sport, especially for those dealing with injuries.

While athletes in many other sports have guaranteed contracts to provide financial security, tennis players don’t get paid if they’re not on the court.

And if a player can’t match a strong run of form from the previous season, there’s no way to avoid a slide down the rankings.

That system has left plenty of talented players lower in the standings than their ability would suggest. Jack Draper is just one of many who could be hit hard by it in 2024.

Badosa, who reached No. 2 in the world less than two years ago, now sits outside the top 120 due to repeated injury setbacks and tournament withdrawals over the past year.

Paula Badosa raises doubts over her Roland Garros participation

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Badosa recently spoke to Mario Suarez on his YouTube channel, where she addressed her ongoing fitness concerns, following up on a recent update she had given to Tennishead.

While there hasn’t been a major new setback, her physical struggles were evident again during her latest loss in Madrid.

Badosa explained: “I think what happened to me here in Madrid is that I was wasting so much energy battling my own issues in that regard, and I was so worn out over these past months that I reached a point in the third set, and my mind completely shut down.

“I felt totally empty, and right after that, I had a conversation with my team. It was quite interesting, all of us in my room, because I think I need some time right now to stop and mentally assess what’s going on, to recharge a bit.