Emotional Paula Badosa opens up after long-awaited return

Paula Badosa picked up her first win of the 2026 Charleston Open on Tuesday, coming out on top against American Kayla Day.

The former world number two had too much for the 26-year-old, taking a straight-sets victory with a 6-4, 6-3 result in South Carolina.

Injuries have derailed her career over the last couple of years, and she’s recently slipped out of the world’s top 100.

But Badosa is still plugging away. And this week marks her first appearance at the Charleston Open since she pulled out mid-tournament in April due to injury issues.

Paula Badosa opens up about what Charleston win means to her

In her post-match interview, Badosa was asked a simple but meaningful question.

The interviewer asked, “How much does it mean for you to be out here? Feeling healthy, and being able to move around the court? It has to be the most important thing today…”

Badosa replied: “I’m very emotional. Don’t do this to me.

“It means the world to me. I was very very sad last year. I had to withdraw from this tournament because of the injury.

“Coming back today felt really good. It’s a very special tournament for me. I love the crowd. They’re always super supportive.

“They have so much passion for tennis. For me, it’s one of my favourite stops of the year. I really enjoy it.”

The first major issue came just after she reached the semi-finals of the 2025 Australian Open, when pain in her right psoas began to surface.

By Wimbledon that year, things had gotten worse, as she suffered a full labrum tear.

This followed earlier struggles with a chronic back issue that at one point had her considering retirement.

Badosa has kept pushing forward through all of it, and fans will hope she can stay fit and return to top form in the coming months.

Badosa looks ahead to Sakkari clash in Charleston

Next up for Badosa is a meeting with former world number three Maria Sakkari, who has made an impressive start to the season.

Sakkari, seeded 10th in Charleston, has already beaten Emma Raducanu, Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek this year.

The Greek player reached the Qatar Open final in February but has only picked up one match win since then.

Badosa spoke about Sakkari: “She’s an amazing player. We’ve known each other for a long time. She’s a player I respect a lot. We’ve had tough battles.”

“For sure tomorrow is gonna be a tough one. I like these kind of challenges. Hope you guys can enjoy the match tomorrow.”

Sakkari leads their head-to-head 2-1, having won their most recent encounter at the 2023 Madrid Open.

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