Paula Badosa, 23 years old, had released his record in the middle of the season by winning the Belgrade tournament on clay. But she made history last weekend by being the first Spanish woman to win the considered ‘fifth Grand Slam’, the WTA 1000 of Indian wells. She defeated the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in an exceptional match, which places her in the direction of the world top-10 (she is 13th) and places her practically in the WTA Finals, the Masters that brings together the eight best of this 2021. Newcomer to home, attended MD.
How do you feel hours after such a relevant success?
Between the long drive (from California) and everything that’s going on, I feel tired and also stressed. But also happy. It is a mixture of many emotions.
Was such an impact expected?
I am very happy that there are so many people who are following me, that there is so much expectation. I didn’t expect that much. I see that they follow women’s tennis a lot, which is something very positive.
Is it the beginning of a ‘Badosamanía’?
Hopefully, I’ll try. I will try to continue working to win more tournaments like this and continue to bring joy to my country.
Any special gift or celebration in the offing?
I am with many things to do, I hope that in a couple or three days I can make a quiet dinner and rest. But right now everything is being very chaotic. Although I hope it’s always for something like that.
Paula Badosa, after winning the point that gave her the final against Victoria Azarenka
He won the final, lay on the ground for a few seconds and cried for minutes. How did you experience it?
I was thrilled by the hard road that I have had and the hard work that I have done. Having such a reward compensates for everything I have worked for and suffered over the years.
Have you cried a lot in the past?
And so much. I have cried the other way and I needed to do it now with joy.
He emphasizes a lot that he does not forget where he comes from, of dark times of depression seeing that he could not consolidate in professionals after being junior champion at Roland Garros.
I think it’s very important. In the end I have had a very hard road and in good times I also want to remember everything that I have been through, everything that it has cost me to get here. And also send a message to the people that you can achieve whatever happens and that if you fight nothing is impossible.
As a champion she enters a new dimension. How do you approach your management?
I have worked a lot on the mental aspect, all the fears, and I believe that I am prepared to handle this new situation. You are always on the alert, with that little fear that I don’t want this or that to happen, not to relapse. I think this alert is good, positive, because it keeps you working always. But unlike at the beginning of the year now I manage it better. I have been doing very good results and I have assimilated them very well.
Are you afraid of being a victim again of the expectations generated?
I was a victim of expectations because I was very young (17 years old) and mentally unprepared. Now, with all that experience and the time that has passed, I am more prepared. Everything that has happened in my life now helps me to manage everything better.
To what extent is it required?
I am very demanding with myself, very perfectionist. I want to do everything perfect, which is sometimes counterproductive because I put a lot of pressure on myself. But this has also made me better every day. I want to be better every day and that is what has also made me the tennis player that I am now.
Are you already a candidate for world number one, to win a Grand Slam tournament?
It is my goal, the dream since I was a child. I get up every day to work with the motivation of one day winning a Grand Slam, above all, because it is what makes me most excited about the world.
What is missing to achieve it?
Continue on the same path, I am on the path that it touches. It was hard for me to find the right line. And you have to keep working every day and compete against the best in the world. The opportunity will come, this year I was already in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. It seemed that I could have gone further (she lost to Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 8-6 in the third set), but the situation got a bit better for me. I had to learn, I needed more experience. That is why I believe that the opportunity will come and it will be seen at that moment if I am now able to take advantage of it or not ”.
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The season is not over. How does one maintain competitive tension after this victory and so much load of matches on top?
It has been a very intense year, a lot is happening to me, and I want to rest, but it is the last effort, so let’s go.
A short schedule but as demanding as it is exciting.
If I need points, I will play the Cluj-Napoca tournament (in Romania from October 25 to 31), although I hope not and that I qualify without doing so for the WTA Finals (Guadalajara, Mexico, November 10 to 17). I couldn’t even think about it when I got to Indian Wells, it was impossible then for it to cross my mind. Even more so when I saw the competition table and saw how difficult it was going to be to win games. But from the quarterfinals I started looking at the WTA Finals and it ended up being a target.
It would be his debut with the best, as he will also debut with the Spanish team, at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals (Prague, from November 1 to 6.
Yes, it would debut and I am very excited.
Is it compatible to jump from the World Cup in Prague to Guadalajara, a final Masters, with the change of continent and conditions, in a few days?
I’d like to, I’m going to do my best to do it. I think the Billie Jean King Cup is played on 1 and 3 (group stage, against Slovakia and USA, respectively). And the WTA Finals start on the 10. There is a bit of scope to try to help the team. It is complicated but I will talk about it with the captain (Anabel Medina, who will have the same issue with Garbiñe Muguruza) to manage everything because the illusion is maximum.
Will your sore right shoulder respond?
I need these days to recover and deal with the …