For the first time in her career, Paula Badosa faces a tournament as defending champion. The Spanish took the WTA 1,000 trophy from Indian Wells last year and in 2022 she starts among the favorites, a responsibility that she tries to mitigate. “I try to fool myself by saying that I won it in October (in 2021 the tournament was played in the autumn and not in the winter as usual). It’s like I’m not defending him, so it’s not so much pressure,” Badosa jokes. The fifth seed debuts this Saturday (not before 0:00, Teledeporte and DAZN) against the Czech Martincova, on the side of Aryna Sabalenka.
“I know it’s a great title. I want to go game by game, put out my best tennis and enjoy it. That was the key last year, I enjoyed every minute. I fought for every ball until the end and that’s what made me win so many games and reach number four in the world”, explains Paula, who believes that to succeed in her sport “there are no secrets”. “You have to fight. Of course, you have to have talentbut in my case I think I have to find that competitive level and not let the pressure get to me too much.”he insists.
the legendary Martina Navratilova praises the New York-born player and endorses her status as favorite. “I love everything about her. Her attitude, her way of thinking. She’s a complete player, maybe 95 percent, because she can improve the transition, the climbs to the net. She has a good chance to defend her title soon, and that has to give her confidence,” says the multi-champion American about one of the four Navy representatives in the tournament draw. One fell in the first round, although with her head held high, because Nuria Párrizas only lost to the local Rogers in the tiebreaker of the third set (6-1, 5-7 and 7-6 (3) in 2h 49). This Saturday Sara Sorribes opens against the Slovenian Juvan.
Other Spanish tricks
In the Masters 1,000, Alejandro Davidovich and Pedro Martínez advanced to the second round (they ran into Shapovalov and Norrie) and Pablo Andújar and Roberto Carballés said goodbye. This Saturday Rafa Nadal (against Korda), Carlos Alcaraz (McDonald) and Roberto Bautista (Wolf) start.
Results of the WTA 1,000 of Indian Wells.