Tennis star Paula Badosa on listening to her body, and learning to let go

⁠How do you reset mentally after a loss, and how quickly can you let go of a loss?
I’m extremely competitive, and I hate losing, especially when I know I had chances in the match. I can be pretty hard on myself. After a loss, I like talking about it with my team. I think it’s important to understand what happened, what I could have done differently and what we need to work on. Sometimes those conversations aren’t easy, especially when I’m frustrated, but they really help me. Of course, some losses hurt more than others, and I might need a bit more time to get over them. But I think I’ve got better at moving on. At the end of the day, there’s always another tournament, another opportunity—and you have to look forward.

⁠You’ve spoken openly about mental health. What daily habits help you most, and what would you tell a young athlete who is struggling?
I’ve always been quite an emotional person, and I think over the years I’ve learnt to understand myself a lot better. Meditation and journaling help me, especially when I have a lot going on in my head. Sometimes just writing down how I’m feeling makes a big difference. I also think having the right people around you—people you can really talk to and be yourself with—is so important. I’m not going to say that I have everything figured out, because I definitely don’t. I still have bad days, I still struggle with things, and that’s normal. To a young athlete, I would say don’t be afraid to ask for help. I know how much pressure there is, especially when you’re young and everyone has expectations of you. But your ranking doesn’t define you, and neither does winning or losing a match. I wish I had understood that earlier in my career: you can love your sport and give everything to it, but you also need to be happy outside of it.

Your back injury has shaped your career. How do you train and look after your body differently today because of it?
I’ve changed a lot. Before, I was the kind of player who would push through everything. Even if something hurt, I wanted to keep going because I thought that was what being tough meant. But after everything I’ve been through with my back, I’ve realised that sometimes pushing more isn’t the answer. Now I’m much more aware of my body. I spend a lot of time on prevention, physio, recovery, and I communicate much more with my team about how I’m feeling.  It’s still difficult for me sometimes, because I’m very competitive and I hate having to stop or change plans. But I’ve learnt the hard way that if I want to keep playing tennis for many more years, I have to take care of myself.

You had a tough time in Guangzhou. How do you reflect on your performance there, and what are you taking from it into the off-season?
Honestly, it was a very difficult week. I suffered heat stroke and obviously it was not the way I wanted things to go. My health has to come first; sometimes your body just tells you that you need to stop. It’s frustrating because I always want to compete and give my best, but I’ve been through enough in my career to know that I need to listen to my body. Now I just want to recover, take some time to disconnect and then get back to work. I know there are things I need to improve, and I’m really motivated to work on them during the off-season. I still have a lot of tennis in me, and I want to come back feeling strong and ready.

⁠You’ve played in China before, including a memorable run in Beijing in 2024. What do you enjoy most about playing in Asia?
I really enjoy playing in Asia. The fans are amazing. They’re so passionate about tennis, but at the same time very respectful, and they always make you feel welcome. I also love getting to experience different cultures, especially the food [laughs]. We travel so much during the season, and sometimes we don’t have enough time to actually enjoy the places we visit, so whenever I get the chance, I try to. Beijing in 2024 was definitely one of my favourite tournaments. I played some really good tennis there, and I have great memories of that week. It’s always nice to come back.

Hong Kong has a huge and growing tennis audience. If you could spend a free day here, what would you want to do and eat?
I would love to explore the city a little, because Hong Kong has such a unique mix of cultures, modern architecture and beautiful nature. I would definitely spend some time walking around, discovering the local neighbourhoods and enjoying the views, especially around Victoria Harbour. Food would be a big part of the day. I would like to try more traditional Cantonese food and some really good dim sum. And if I had time, I would probably finish the day somewhere with a nice sunset view, enjoying the atmosphere and just switching off for a while. When you’re travelling so much for tennis, it’s nice to have moments where you can explore a city without thinking about the next match.

See also: Goal getters: how sports investing became Asia’s most lucrative alternative asset
 

What are your interests away from the court? 
I love so many things outside tennis! I’m a big foodie, so trying new restaurants is definitely one of my favourite things to do. As I travel a lot for tennis, I appreciate when I can actually get to know the place besides the tennis courts. Fashion is another big passion of mine. I love clothes, discovering new brands, shopping—all of that. Lately I’ve also been getting more interested in business and different projects outside tennis, which is something I really enjoy.

What does a perfect day off look like for you?
My perfect day off? Definitely no alarm [laughs]. Having a really good breakfast, maybe going shopping, spending time with my family or friends and going for a nice dinner. Nothing crazy. I think because my life is so intense most of the year, I really appreciate those days when I have absolutely nothing planned.

READ NOW

Beyond short-term remedies: what dancers can teach us about foot care

What really helps during menopause? Experts weigh in

No rocking chairs: six memoirs about ageing and starting over later in life