Key Takeaways
- Paula Badosa returned to form after injury setbacks including a back stress fracture and a torn hip labrum.
- Badosa won a WTA 125 title in Bastad and reached the final of a WTA 250 in Iasi this season.
- She entered the 2026 US Open ranked No. 87 and is a US Open quarterfinalist from 2024 (two years ago).
Comeback momentum
Paula Badosa returns to the US Open determined to build on a season that shifted after a stint in the WTA 125s. Once ranked No. 2, the 28-year-old Spaniard has rebuilt her body and game following a career-threatening back stress fracture and a torn labrum in her right hip, setbacks that at one point dropped her to No. 142 in the WTA rankings.
Testing herself again
After a difficult spring and early summer, Badosa used lower-tier events to regain match fitness, then captured a WTA 125 title in Bastad and reached the final of a WTA 250 in Iasi. Reflecting on that period, she said “It was a good challenge for me, because I wanted to test my body, how was it going to hold up day after day, playing with no day off in between,” and added “I was also very happy with the way I battled mentally, because it wasn’t easy to go back to that level.”
Belonging on the big stages
Now ranked No. 87, Badosa credits supporters for helping her recapture confidence. “Sometimes I see the negative side, always the bad side of me,” she admitted, before noting the lift she receives from fans: “What helps me a lot when I walk on a court, it’s the people. They usually cheer me on. People are excited to see me, they come to see me. That makes me realize what I have done and that I belong in these places.”
Another blockbuster with Gauff
Badosa now faces world No. 4 Coco Gauff in the second round in New York, a matchup the Spaniard has relished. She holds a 5-3 edge in their head-to-head meetings and believes familiarity sharpens the contest: “Against Coco, we’ve played many, many times. We know each other really well. We know how we’re going to play. In the end, it’s who plays the best that day.”
Outlook
A quarterfinalist at the US Open two years ago, Badosa says she still expects to climb back up the rankings. “I think slowly, step by step, I’ll get back there,” she said, as she prepares for a high-profile second-round test against one of the game’s top players.
WTA U.S. Open - Paula Badosa's projected path
Badosa at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2026
Now the world no.87, the Spaniard has an overall 23-17 match record in 2026. Paula is currently playing at the U.S. Open where she defeated the world no.61 Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-4.
Paula Badosa will come up against the world no.4 Coco Gauff in the 2nd round on Thursday at 7:00 PM on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Their record is 5-3 for Badosa.
The Spaniard conquered 1 title in 2026 in the Bastad.
Paula won 4 titles in her career: 3 on hard courts and 1 on clay courts. (See the list of her titles)
