Paula Badosa, the former champion of Indian Wells, has withdrawn from this year’s BNP Paribas Open due to a lower back injury. This marks the second consecutive year that Badosa has had to pull out of the tournament because of the same issue. The Spaniard, who won the tournament in 2021, has been struggling with back problems for years. Her withdrawal comes just a week after she retired from her quarterfinal match at the WTA 500 Mérida Open due to discomfort.
Badosa’s withdrawal is a significant blow to her season, which had started promisingly. She made her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at the 2025 Australian Open and returned to the Top 10 for the first time since 2022. Despite her recent success, the chronic back injury has once again forced her to take a step back. Badosa expressed her disappointment, saying, “I’m very sorry to withdraw from one of my favorite tournaments. I tried until the last moment to play. I am really sad & hopefully will be back next year!”
In Badosa’s absence, World No. 78 Eva Lys of Germany will take her spot in the main draw as a lucky loser. Lys, who has already made headlines this year by becoming the first lucky loser to reach the Australian Open Round of 16 in the Open Era, will face American Caroline Dolehide in the second round. Lys made her Top 100 debut shortly after her Australian Open run and is now the German No. 1.
Badosa’s career has been plagued by injuries, but she has shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. Her fans and the tennis community will undoubtedly be hoping for her swift recovery and return to the court.
Paula Badosa in 2025
Now the world no.10, Paula played her last match on the 28th of February when she had to retire when playing against world no.109 Daria Gavrilova in the quarter and the scoreline was 1-6 5-3 .
This season Paula achieved a 10-7 match record. Paula Badosa’s most significant performance of the current year was reaching the semifinal at the Australian Open.
