Paula Badosa thought she would 'die' on court as US Open star tries not to cry
Paula Badosa said she didn't want to cry after her US Open match.
Paula Badosa admitted that she thought she was "going to die" on court during her fourth-round victory at the US Open.
The Spaniard has matched her best Grand Slam result by reaching the quarter-final in Flushing Meadows more than three years after making it to the last eight at the French Open.
Badosa's career was derailed by a back injury and she said she didn't want to cry while reflecting on her journey.
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The 26th seed became the first player to reach the quarter-final at this year's US Open, handily beating Yafan Wang 6-1 6-2. While it was a beatdown by the scoreline, it was a close battle early on.
Badosa and Wang needed more than 15 minutes to complete the first couple of games and the Spaniard later joked that she thought she would die in the brutal conditions. Addressing the crowd during her on-court interview, Badosa said: "It was a battle and I remember seeing the minutes.
"I’m like, it’s only two games and 17 [minutes] and it’s so humid, I think I’m gonna die here today. But I knew it was going to be worth it and in that moment I remember thinking, okay, she’s tough but I’m tougher. And if I have to stay here three hours, I will."
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Badosa's quarter-final run is the latest champer of an incredible North American hard-court summer. The 26-year-old dropped out of the world's top 100 in June following her ongoing injury struggles. But she won the WTA 500 event in Washington and reached the semi-final in Cincinnati.
By the time the US Open rolled around, she had broken back into the top 30 and secured a seeded position in New York. And she is now back in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time since 2021.
Asked to react to the statistic, Badosa replied: "Yeah, look, I don’t wanna cry because last year I was here, I had to withdraw. I couldn’t play the tournament so for me it was really sad.
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"Being back here the year after with my best result in a Slam, it’s a dream come true, I never thought about it. And as I said in the last interviews, a few months ago I was thinking to quit this sport because I stopped believing in myself and my injury wasn’t responding. So being back in one of the best players in the world is a dream come true."
Badosa will now face either the defending champion, Coco Gauff, or world No. 12 Emma Navarro in the quarters. Previewing her next match, she added: "I’m really good friends with both of them. I love them both. I love how they play. Coco is amazing. She’s so inspiring at such a young age and so mature. I love watching her. She’s a champion and we always have battles.
"It would be a great match against her on Arthur Ashe, where I never played. It would be an amazing experience. Emma, she’s so humble and an amazing talent. It’s gonna be another battle. We had one in Rome already. I’m looking forward to either and I hope today than have a good match and the best one wins. But I really love them both."
