Paula Badosa suffers major heartbreak, forced to retire from Iasi Open final

Paula Badosa’s remarkable resurgence on the WTA Tour ended in heartbreak on Monday as the Spaniard was forced to retire from the Iasi Open final against Egypt’s Mayar Sherif. Badosa called time on the match with Sherif leading 6-4, 4-0, handing the Egyptian her second WTA title and extending her winning streak to 10 matches.

The final, which had been delayed by rain, marked the end of Badosa’s nine-match winning run. The former world No.2 had arrived in Romania on the back of her title triumph at the WTA 125 event in Bastad and was bidding to win consecutive tournaments for the first time in her career.

Sherif, ranked No.73 in the world, dominated the latter stages of the contest after edging a competitive opening set. The Egyptian had already enjoyed a strong clay-court campaign and made the most of Badosa’s physical struggles to seal back-to-back titles.

For Badosa, the defeat was especially painful given the difficult months she has endured. The 27-year-old has battled injuries and inconsistent form in recent seasons, slipping outside the top 100 earlier this year before rediscovering her rhythm in Romania. Meanwhile, her run to the final helped her climb to No.93 in the WTA rankings and strengthened her hopes of securing direct entry into the US Open main draw.

BADOSA REFLECTS ON DRAMATIC TURNAROUND

An emotional Badosa apologised to the crowd after retiring from the match, admitting that her body had let her down at the worst possible moment.

“I’m always a player that’s very honest and real. I have to say I hate this moment right now, I hate losing a final and I’m really sorry that I had to do it in this way but I couldn’t keep up with my body so I apologise for that also,” Badosa said.

The Spaniard also reflected on her recent revival after one of the toughest stretches of her career.

“But I also want to say, one month ago I was in one of the worst losing streaks of my career and one month after I made one of the best winning streaks of my career lately we have had a little more positivity,” she added.

Although the Iasi title slipped away, Badosa leaves Romania with renewed confidence after reaching consecutive finals and reminding the tennis world of the quality that once took her to world No.2.

– Ends