Paula Badosa’s emotional exit from her first-round match at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championship, marked by tears, deeply affected tennis enthusiasts.
After facing a challenging 2023 season riddled with injuries, Badosa began her 2024 campaign at the Adelaide International, where she suffered a tough first-round loss to Bernarda Pera.
Despite her setback, she showed promise at the Australian Open, securing wins against Taylor Townsend and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before bowing out to Amanda Anisimova in the third round.
However, her journey faced further obstacles at the Hua Hin Championships, where a lower-back injury forced her to retire during her second-round match against Diana Shnaider, sidelining her from the Abu Dhabi Open as well.
Returning to the court at the Qatar Open, Badosa managed to clinch a victory against Ashlyn Krueger in the first round but was unable to progress further, falling to Leylah Fernandez in the second round.
At the Dubai Tennis Championship, her struggles persisted as she lost the first set of her opening match to Lulu Sun (6-4). This defeat, coupled with her ongoing back injury, led to a tearful withdrawal from the tournament.
Tennis fans, witnessing Badosa’s emotional turmoil and subsequent exit, expressed their sympathy on social media platforms.
One fan drew parallels between Badosa’s injury and that of Anett Kontaveit, who retired from professional tennis after the 2023 Wimbledon Championships due to a persistent back issue.
“Yeah, this looks like an Anett Kontaveit type of back injury,” a Reddit user commented, reflecting the collective concern among fans.
