Paula Badosa secured her first victory at the 2026 Charleston Open on Tuesday, defeating American player Kayla Day.
Badosa, the former world number two, proved too strong for the 26-year-old, winning 6-4, 6-3 in the South Carolinian port city.
It has been a difficult couple of years for Badosa, who has suffered debilitating injury issues and recently fell out of the world’s top 100 ranked players.
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Yet the Spaniard continues to persevere.
After defeating Day on Tuesday, Badosa admitted that she felt ‘very emotional’
Paula Badosa’ emotional reaction to winning in Charleston
During her on-court interview, Badosa was asked a pertinent question.
“How much does it mean for you to be out here?” the interviewer asked. “Feeling healthy, and being able to move around the court? It has to be the most important thing today…”
“I’m very emotional,” Badosa responded. “Don’t do this to me.
“It means the world to me. I was very very sad last year. I had to withdraw from this tournament because of the injury.
“Coming back today felt really well. It’s a very special tournament for me. I love the crowd. They’re always super supportive.
“They have so much passion for tennis. For me, it’s one of my favourite stops of the year. I really enjoy it.”
After reaching the 2025 Australian Open semi-finals, Badosa began to feel pain in her right psoas.
Later that year, around Wimbledon, Badosa suffered a full-blown labrum tear.
Earlier in her career, the Spaniard dealt with a chronic back problem which left her contemplating retirement.
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However, Badosa continued to battle away, and one hopes the 28-year-old can stay healthy and find her best form once again in the next few months.
Recently, Badosa spoke about her injury struggles and fan criticism on social media in an exclusive interview with Tennishead.
Paula Badosa previews match against Maria Sakkari
In the next round, Badosa will player former world number three Maria Sakkari, who has enjoyed an excellent start to the year.
Sakkari, the 10th seed in Charleston, has already defeated Emma Raducanu, Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek this year.
The Greek star reached the Qatar Open final in February, but has only recorded one match win since then.
“She’s an amazing player,” Badosa said of Sakkari. “We’ve known each other for a long time. She’s a player I respect a lot. We’ve had tough battles.
“For sure tomorrow is gonna be a tough one. I like these kind of challenges. Hope you guys can enjoy the match tomorrow.”
Sakkari has a 2-1 record against Badosa. The pair last contested a match at the 2023 Madrid Open, with Sakkari emerging victorious.
