In a touching moment at the French Open, Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa shared a heartfelt hug following their intense match. Sabalenka emerged victorious in this battle at Roland Garros, but the camaraderie between the two players was evident as they embraced on the court.
Mats Wilander, a former tennis champion, asked Sabalenka about the difficulty of playing against a close friend. “Is it hard to be the tiger when you’re playing a friend like Paula?” he inquired.
“It’s tough to play your best friend. She’s an incredible player coming back after injury. She’s gonna be back at the top very soon. It’s very tough. But we know how to separate things. On court we’re opponents. I’m trying not to watch on the other side. I’m just trying to focus on myself and bring my best game. It’s tough matches against her,” Sabalenka responded.
Sabalenka after beating Paula Badosa at Roland Garros
Wilander: “Is it hard to be the tiger when you’re playing a friend like Paula?”
Aryna: “It’s tough to play your best friend. She’s an incredible player coming back after injury. She’s gonna be back at the top very soon. It’s… pic.twitter.com/gfumPEoUoi
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 1, 2024
Sabalenka’s victory was marked by a combination of skill and emotional resilience, highlighting the unique challenge of competing against someone she holds in high regard. Despite the competitive nature of their match, the mutual respect and affection between Sabalenka and Badosa shone through, making for a memorable moment in the tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka & Paula Badosa share a nice hug at the net after their match at Roland Garros.
You just know they’re always rooting for each other when the match is over. 🥹
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 1, 2024
Sabalenka at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2024
LLWWWWWWWL Currently the world no.2, Sabalenka achieved a composed 28-7 win-loss record in 2024. Sabalenka is playing at the French Open where she bested the world no.100 Erika Andreeva 6-1 6-2, the world no.83 Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2 and the world no.139 Paula Badosa Gibert 7-5 6-1.
Aryna Sabalenka will come up against the world no.24 Emma Navarro in the 4th round. Their current record is 1-0 for Navarro.
Sabalenka has won 1 title in 2024 at the Australian Open. Aryna reached the final in Brisbane (Brisbane International), in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) and in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
Aryna won 14 titles in her career: 10 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Paula Badosa in 2024
LLWWWLWWWW Currently the world no.139, the Spaniard played her last match on the 1st of June when she lost to world no.2 Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 6-1 in the 3rd round of the French Open (draw).
Until now, during this year the Spaniard owns a composed 11-11 match record.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa faced off 7 times. Their head to head is 5-2 for Sabalenka. Previously, the last time they played, Aryna Sabalenka won 7-5 6-1 in the 3rd round in Paris (French Open) on the 1st of June 2024.
You can watch the highlights in the following video.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa |
| Embed from Getty Images |
