Paula Badosa has no problems talking about the psychological problems that she suffered when she was still a teenager and that led her to suffer episodes of anxiety and depression, who were about to separate her from tennis.
She did it again after winning Victoria Azarenka and proclaiming herself champion of Indian Wells, the most important tournament outside of the Grand Slams.
“The most special thing about this success is that I have had a bad time and I have suffered a lot and had to work to get there. I went through moments of depression, of having to be treating myself, of not seeing sense of tennis. It cost me and I thought I would never be where I am now,” explained the Spanish.
Badosa later sent a very clear and wise message to tennis players who are younger than her and are making their way into the world of the racket, such as Leylah Fernandez (19), Emma Raducanu (19) and Coco Gauff (17), at the that she won in the third round a few days ago.
“After all that suffering, I have managed to reach the top at 23 years old, after suffering from the rush and expectations, from the obligation to win. Everyone has their time and I want to emphasize that, because there are young girls who at 17 think they have to be the best. And it is not like that, there are people who win tournaments with 30. You have to be very patient and not create so many expectations.”