Paula Badosa sent a stirring message in the direction of her critics on the back of a chastening loss that resulted in her early exit from this year’s Miami Open. The former World No. 2 Spaniard, despite acknowledging the fear and confusion affecting her mental health, vowed to continue fighting amid her ongoing form and fitness struggles.

Badosa’s start to the ‘Sunshine Double’ was a nightmarish one, as she was bundled out of Indian Wells in the very first round by Yulia Putintseva. To gain some confidence for Miami, the Spaniard subsequently took part in a WTA 125 tournament in Austin, where she promisingly finished as a semifinalist.

In Miami, the current No. 100 got off to a bright start, registering a 7-5, 6-3 first-round win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. However, in the second round, 18-year-old home hope Iva Jovic inflicted a confidence-bruising 6-2, 6-1 defeat on Paula Badosa, and just days later, the Spaniard took to her Instagram Stories and wrote:

“Fear, f**king fear. How brutal it is. Sometimes I feel like I can’t control the voices inside me. The emotions are too much, and I find myself overwhelmed. Doubts take hold of me, and I feel lost in a sea of emotions.” (all quotes translated from Spanish)

Going on to lay bare how she would want to be remembered as a tennis player, the four-time career singles titlist added:

“There’s one thing I’m clear about… I’ll always try with all my strength. I’ll do whatever it takes. I won’t be remembered for winning the most titles, but I want to be remembered for this. For these moments. For showing that Paula was able to come through.”

“It’ll be really tough, but I promise I’ll keep going” – Paula Badosa

In the same message to her critics following her Miami Open disappointment, Paula Badosa promised that sooner or later, she will bounce back and once again become the sort of player that helped her become World No. 2 back in 2022.

“I’m going to prove that I can come through. It’ll be really tough, but I promise I’ll keep going until I do. And even if things don’t work out right now, and there are a thousand opinions… I’ll keep going. And keep going. Paula isn’t back… but she will be,” the 28-year-old concluded.

Paula Badosa’s persistent injury woes began in 2023, with several of her on-court outings at the time being marred by mid-match retirements. However, the Spaniard’s performances the following year were impressive, leading to her being named WTA’s Comeback Player of the Year. In 2025, she even broke back into the top 10, but ever since then, injuries, particularly a chronic back problem, have played spoilsport in terms of her progress.