Paula Badosa produced a superb display to beat Maria Sakkari on Wednesday.
The Spaniard, who recently fell out of the WTA top 100, defeated the former world number three 6-3, 6-4 in the Charleston Open second round.
It was an excellent victory for Badosa, who has endured a tumultuous period away from the court over the past year.
The former world number two suffered a full-blown labrum tear last year, and has been working her way back to full fitness ever since.
It seems Badosa has finally found her groove, and there is little reason to suggest that the Spaniard won’t continue her progression in South Carolina.
Paula Badosa will return to the WTA top 10
Badosa’s latest victory over Maria Sakkari proves that the Spaniard still has the ability to beat some of the best players on the WTA Tour.
While Sakkari is currently ranked 36th on the WTA Tour, the Greek star has been one of the form players at the start of this year.
Sakkari has already secured victories against the likes of Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek, defeating the pair on her way to the Qatar Open final in February.
Simply put, if not for injuries, Paula Badosa may still be a top 10 player on the WTA Tour, as proven by her ability to defeat a player like Sakkari, who previously climbed to the world number three spot.
Badosa has been plagued by injury throughout her career, and one can only hope that she continues to stay injury free heading into the rest of the season.
The Spaniard has yet another opportunity to make a big statement when she plays eighth seed Anna Kalinskaya on Thursday.
Kalinskaya, a runner-up at the 2025 Washington Open, defeated Viktoriya Tomova in the round of 32.
If Badosa were to beat Kalinskaya, she would play Iva Jovic or Sofia Kenin in the Charleston Open quarter-finals.
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Paula Badosa’s WTA debut
In 2015, Badosa received a wildcard for the Miami Open and made her WTA Tour debut.
The Spaniard impressed onlookers in her first match, defeating Petra Cetkovska 6-1, 6-1.
Badosa then defeated lucky loser Zheng Saisai.
Her run came to an end against former world number one Karolina Pliskova. The Czech star, seeded 14th at the event, defeated Badosa 7-5, 6-1.
Serena Williams went on to win the event, defeating Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 in the final.
