Paula Badosa reveals internal battle behind difficult 2026 season

Paula Badosa’s 2026 season hasn’t been going to plan, with the Spaniard finding it tough to get past the early rounds of tournaments.

She’s now outside the WTA top 100 after a second-round exit at the Miami Open, where she lost to Iva Jovic.

Badosa has a 7-8 record for the year, with her best showing coming at a WTA 125 event in Austin, where she made it to the semi-finals.

Badosa is currently ranked World No. 112 and has spoken about what’s behind her lack of consistent results this season.

Paula Badosa points to mental hurdles behind her recent struggles

Badosa, speaking to El Larguero, indicated that her challenges right now are more mental than physical, despite a history of injuries.

The Spaniard said: “I have a lot of respect for my rivals, but I think I’m fighting more with myself, for internal things.

“Fears, thoughts like ‘What if I don’t achieve this?’ or ‘What if I never get back to where I wanted to be?’ or ‘What if I get injured again?’”

Badosa admitted that those thoughts have been weighing on her mind during matches. She went on: “There are many thoughts going through my mind, even during competition when they shouldn’t be there. It’s complicated. Right now, the negative voice is winning more often than I’d like.

“It’s a constant battle between those two internal voices. I’m working on it daily with specialists and with my team, but a lot depends on me.”

Badosa reached as high as world number two in the rankings and made her first Grand Slam semi-final appearance at the 2025 Australian Open.

Paula Badosa continues to try and play her way out of trouble

Badosa hasn’t shown any interest in stepping away from the WTA Tour. She’s still pushing forward, looking for something to turn her form around.

Following her early exit in Miami, Badosa is preparing to compete at the Charleston Open, a tournament that might offer her a good opportunity to put some wins together.

The WTA 500 event has seen several withdrawals, including Amanda Anisimova and Emma Navarro. There’s only one top-10 player remaining in the field.

Badosa’s first match will be against American Kayla Day, who is currently ranked world number 156.

With so many absentees, this could be an ideal moment for Badosa to start building some momentum on tour.

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