Paula Badosa explains biggest change on WTA Tour in recent years

Paula Badosa has started to show some form again at the Charleston Open.

After an emotional win over Kayla Day, Badosa followed it up with a straight-sets victory against Maria Sakkari.

The results mark the first time since June 2025 that the Spanish star was able to win two matches in a row at a tournament.

Badosa, who has been ranked as high as world number three in the world, has pinpointed a major change on the WTA Tour in recent years, which could be a reason for her stumbling form.

Paula Badosa points to increased physical demands of the WTA Tour

Badosa has played through two different eras of the sport, and the current generation may be the most athletic yet.

She’s noticed a significant rise in physicality among WTA players over the past five years.

“I feel a big difference, and I have talked a lot about it. One of the things I love most is watching and analysing tennis,” she said during her press conference at Charleston.

“I have had a lot of time now, and I have seen a big difference from 2020 to 2023, let’s say. Now in the last few years, I think the pace at which we were playing was a bit slower, although at the same time, I feel I had to keep evolving.

“Most of us also work with statistics and analytics, so I ask. I want to know the pace of how I was playing a couple of years ago and now, and there are differences. Not just with me, with everyone, but you can see that you are constantly being pushed, especially the younger ones.”

Badosa hasn’t beaten anyone inside the top 10 since March 2023 and recently fell outside of triple digits in rankings.

“Now everything is much faster, and maybe a bit less tactical because people are going for winners more, and we have less time to think,” she explained. “Everyone is serving great, returning great, hitting hard, and making winners.”

Paula Badosa primed for potential resurgence on clay

Badosa’s dip in form has been linked to injuries and fitness issues over the past few years, which explains why she’s fallen down the rankings.

But with the clay season underway, she now has a chance to turn things around.

Last year, Badosa played just two clay events — Strasbourg and Roland Garros — meaning she isn’t defending many points this time around. If she can string together some good results, it could make a big difference in her ranking.

A return to the top 100 ahead of Madrid and Rome would put her in a strong position to climb even higher during the rest of the clay swing.

Read more: