Paula Badosa had a rough start to 2024. In fact, there was seemingly a chance that she would retire. Her health issues, including a constant back problem, had diminished her potential. One might have guessed that this would be a long-term concern. Would Badosa want to keep playing if she thought she couldn’t ever again be at her best?
Then things changed. The Spaniard skipped the Olympics to focus on getting some ranking points back. Did she ever? She won the Citi Open at the beginning of August and then made deep runs in Cincinnati, New York, and Beijing. She was playing well at the Ningbo Open as well but then had to pull out of her semifinal match due to a blood pressure issue.
Badosa has withdrawn from the Japan Open citing health concerns. But fans of the Spaniard should not be too concerned. She appears set on playing in the Billie Jean King Cup from November 13 through 20. That is not a true WTA event, but at least Badosa will be back on the court soon.
Paula Badosa not done, Felix Auger-Aliassime does a great thing, and Jessica Pegula is confirmed
In completely different news, Felix Auger-Aliassime has decided not to play for Canada at the Davis Cup in late November. He has a good reason for it, however. Instead of playing tennis, he is going to be doing some humanitarian work in Togo.
Togo is his father’s native country, and Auger-Aliassime has worked with educational initiatives in the country for some time. That is what he will be doing instead of the Davis Cup. That might make one want to root for Auger-Aliassime even harder once he steps on the court again.
Finally, the 2025 version of the Adelaide International will be held from January 6 through 11. Tennis fans learned last week a few of the players who will be involved. This includes Jessica Pegula, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, and Barbora Krejcikova.
Pegula reached the semifinals at the event earlier this year but had to withdraw before her semifinal match. Korda made the semifinals as well before losing to eventual champion, Jiri Lehecka. Paul lost in the quarterfinals.