2LT National News

(Photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images)

Eighteenth-ranked Paula Badosa announced Tuesday that she plans to take the rest of the year off and vowed to ‘come back stronger’ in 2026.

The Spanish tennis player’s announcement on Instagram came two days after she retired from her third-round match against Czech Karolina Muchova, the No. 15-ranked player, at the China Open because of a left hip injury.

‘There are times when I ask myself how I manage to keep going through the toughest moments. And the truth is, it’s in those exact moments that I discover the deepest strength inside me,’ Badosa said. ‘Every setback hurts, but it also reminds me how badly I want to fight, how much I want to come back stronger.

‘… No matter how many obstacles come my way, I promise you this: I will keep fighting, I will keep pushing, and I will keep finding my way back.’

Badosa, 27, recorded her best Grand Slam performance in January when she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. Her career-best No. 2 ranking was achieved April 25, 2022.

–Field Level Media