Pain-free Badosa ready for action

– Former world No 2 Paula Badosa (right) begins her injury comeback at the Adelaide International this week in a field populated with four Grand Slam champions, all gearing up in the final countdown to the Australian Open.

Spain’s Badosa missed the second half of 2023 with a stress fracture of the back but was confident before today’s tournament start that her fitness would hold up.

“I want to get back to my level as soon as possible. I know it’s going to be tough at the beginning,” said Badosa, who has three career WTA single’s titles.

“It’s been a lot of months that I didn’t play. Winning a Slam, It’s one of my dreams, and it will always be until the day I retire.”

She has not played since quitting Wimbledon in the second round, and returns to Adelaide having reached the semifinals a year ago before withdrawing with injury.

Badosa, who managed only one Grand Slam appearance in 2023, said there was little she was able to do to speed up her recovery, but had noted progress in the last month.

“Since three, four weeks ago, I’ve been pain-free...but it was like a rollercoaster, a very tough process.”

Topping the seeding list on the women’s side of the ATP-WTA tournament is 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, with current All England Club title holder Marketa Vondrousova seeded three.

Sandwiched in between is Jessica Pegula, runner-up to topranked Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals in November.

Completing the line-up of heavyweights are Roland Garros winners Barbora Krejcikova (2021) and Jelena Ostapenko (2017).

The men’s field is headed by Tommy Paul of the United States, with Chile’s Nicolas Jarry seeded two. –