Paula Badosa won the Citi Open title by defeating Marie Bouzkova in the final on Sunday, August 4. The Spaniard thanked her family and boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas for their support.
The WTA 500 final was delayed due to the rain but the competitors were focused on their game when they came out onto the court on Sunday. 26-year-old Badosa was stronger off the blocks and won the first set. In the second, however, Bouzkova came out on top to force a decider.
The pair exchanged breaks at the start of the third set, but Badosa established a 4-2 lead and eventually won the match 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. The Spaniard fell to the court in tears of joy. She even kissed the court after winning a title for the first time in over two years.
During the press conference after the match, Badosa was asked if she was able to get in touch with her family and her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“Yeah, it’s the first thing I did on court. I called my family and Stefanos, of course, because I know they’re always there for me. They’ve been in the tough moments. They’ve seen me very, very down this last year,” Paula Badosa said.
She credited them for the support they provided and said that she would not be where she is without them.
“I wanted to live the moments with them because of course without them I wouldn’t be here because they support me every day, 24/7. There was moments that I didn’t know what to do with my career. They were there,” she added.
Badosa added that they were following the match so she wanted to call them. Notably, the former World No. 2 has had to deal with multiple injury concerns over the past two years. Her chronic back injury even pushed her out of the Top 100, but she has now returned to the Top 50 following her fourth career title.
“One year ago I was on the couch, now I’m an athlete again” – Paula Badosa on recovery from injury to winning Citi Open
Paula Badosa at The Championships – Wimbledon 2024. (Image via Getty)
Paula Badosa at The Championships – Wimbledon 2024. (Image via Getty)
In the first round of the Citi Open, Paula Badosa went past Sofia Kenin in straight sets. Next, she faced Liudmila Samsonova, but the third seed had to retire after the first set. Badosa then defeated Emma Raducanu from a set down in the quarter-final, and Caroline Dolehide in straight sets in the semif-inal.
The 26-year-old then defeated Marie Bouzkova in the final to clinch her fourth title. Her other three titles include Belgrade and Indian Wells in 2021, and Sydney in 2022.
Since 2022, injuries have derailed her career. But now, she is back to winning ways. In a post-match interview, she said:
“One year ago I was on the couch, so it’s a big difference now. Now I’m an athlete again.”
Following her triumph in Washington DC, Paula Badosa is expected to feature at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, Canada.