At long last, Paula Badosa has found some form at the Charleston Open.
Badosa cut an emotional figure after beating Kayla Day and she backed it up by beating Maria Sakkari in straight sets.
The results mark the first time since June 2025 that the Spanish star was able to win two matches in a row at a tournament.
Badosa, who has been ranked as high as world number three in the world, has pinpointed a major change on the WTA Tour in recent years, which could be a reason for her stumbling form.
Paula Badosa highlights key change on the WTA Tour
Badosa has straddled two generations of players, with the current crop of stars arguably the best athletes the female game has seen.
The Spanish star believes there has been a huge jump in the athleticism of the top stars on the WTA Tour in the last five years.
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Speaking at her Charleston Open press conference, she said: “I feel a big difference, and I have talked a lot about it. One of the things I love most is watching and analyzing tennis.
“I have had a lot of time now, and I have seen a big difference from 2020 to 2023, let’s say. Now in the last few years, I think the pace at which we were playing was a bit slower, although at the same time, I feel I had to keep evolving.
“Most of us also work with statistics and analytics, so I ask. I want to know the pace of how I was playing a couple of years ago and now, and there are differences. Not just with me, with everyone, but you can see that you are constantly being pushed, especially the younger ones.”
Badosa has struggled against the top stars in recent years, and she most recently slipped outside of the top 100.
“Now everything is much faster, and maybe a bit less tactical because people are going for winners more, and we have less time to think,” she explained. “Everyone is serving great, returning great, hitting hard, and making winners.”
Badosa is currently ranked world number 102 after her latest exploits at the Charleston Open and she will play Anna Kalinskaya in the round of 16.
Paula Badosa could be set for a very fruitful clay court season
Badosa has struggled with injuries and fitness over the last few years, which has been a real cause for her slide in the rankings.
However, that negative could soon be turned into a positive if she can find some form following the Charleston Open.
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Badosa only played two clay court events in 2025, in Strasbourg and Roland Garros, so she is defending very few ranking points.
If Badosa can get herself back into the top 100 for the Madrid and Rome Masters, she could be set for a huge ranking boost.
