WHAT HAPPENED: Paula Badosa's recent renaissance reached a whole new level with a match-point saving 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8) comeback over qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Louis Armstrong Stadium on Friday at the 2024 US Open.
Prior to this week, the No. 26 seed had never ventured beyond the second round in her birth city, now Badosa is into the Round of 16 and is very much in the title contender conversation.
“[At] 5-4 down, match point down, I was mentally destroyed,” Badosa admitted after the 2-hour, 32-minute thriller. “It was unbelievable. She played an insane level. At the end it was a high-quality match. Congrats to her. She’s a great player. She’s proving it now. She has the level to be at the top.”
“My coach told me, 'You don’t have another option other than to fight. Be more aggressive than her, play your game, if it works perfect, if not then we go home.'
“For one moment I thought I was playing Simona Halep,” Badosa joked. “It was very tough!"
In a ferocious start, they exchanged the lead with slingshot winners. They were both eager to gain the first strike, to connect from within the baseline. The No.2 6 seed's weight of shot began to tell with a break point at 4-3. However, Ruse was a bundle of energy down the other end and soared from shot to shot to fend off the danger. She then capitalized upon increasingly passive shots launching from Badosa's racquet to steal away the opener.
Ruse only landed 38 per cent of first serves and won just 38 percent of those points, yet somehow led with her groundstroke velocity.
Switching it up, Badosa hit with far more purpose and precision, breaking to love for 3-1 with some searing shots. A brace of aces lazered 4-1 onto the scoreboard to help close out a rapid turnaround.
Lightning rod groundstrokes gave Badosa an opening to snatch away a 3-2 lead. Ruse regrouped and let rip to restore parity.
Their only previous clash came in Dubai two years ago and Ruse prevailed, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. It would be another finely-poised finished, with a different outcome.
The qualifier went for broke and earned match point at 5-4 with a backhand return winner, Badosa held firm as a wall of defiance. She then blazed through a break to love, then yet again, world No.122 Ruse recalibrated and reeled Badosa into a high-octane match tiebreak.
Badosa was the frontrunner and edged 7-5 up at the changeover. Then the scoreboard read 8-6, courtesy of a timely ace. The qualifier went narrowly wide with an inside-out forehand to head to match point. A return went long and Badosa's arms were aloft in relief and elation.
WHAT IT MEANS: It might sound simple—Badosa, with this test under her belt, is back and is leaping over several stepping stones towards her best.
Three months ago, just prior to Roland-Garros, Badosa was ranked down at No. 140. The Spaniard earned a third round in Paris, then a fourth-round ticket at Wimbledon. Over to hard courts, Badosa won her first title in two years at Washington, D.C., backed up by booking a WTA 1000 semifinal in Cincinnati. It's not just her recent resurgence that points to a deep run at Flushing Meadows—three of Badosa's four career titles came on hard courts.
Now 13-4 in deciding sets at majors, no one will fancy taking on Badosa. The world No. 29 will duel with three-time US Open runner-up Victoria Azarenka or China's Wang Yafan in the fourth round.
“My best results have been in the U.S., I always say they are the best crowds in the U.S. I feel a special connection here,” said Badosa, a champion in Washington (2024) and Indian Wells (2021). “It’s not a coincidence, I feel so good here, so safe, so protected. It’s really cool.”
MATCH POINT: Badosa has spoken at length about how a lower back stress fracture sustained last year has given her excruciating pain on and off the court. After reviewing scans in March, doctors insinuated prolonging a professional career in tennis might be too much on the body going forward.
Retirement? Not so. Badosa is fiercely passionate about her tennis and is fighting to rebuild her career. So far, she's excelling with her resilience and patience being rewarded in the Big Apple.
