Paula Badosa has played in front of the biggest crowds in tennis, including at Grand Slams. However, during her quarterfinal match against Mary Stoiana at the São Paulo Open, the former World No.2 was nervous. It was not because of the crowd, but due to the presence of one distinguished guest in the stands, someone she has always considered her idol, Maria Sharapova. Having won her match, Badosa finally met the former World No.1 off the court and admitted it was one of her best memories on Tour.
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“I think it was the best thing in the last, I don’t know, weeks, for me, meeting my idol,” said Badosa while talking to the press about the Sharapova meet after the match. “It was incredible, I was super nervous, I have to admit, and I saw her, she was watching a bit, so I was even more nervous, but for me it was super special and also she was very nice to me, so it’s a memory I will have for life.”
Often dubbed the ‘next Sharapova’, Badosa has always considered the five-time Major champion her idol. Both Badosa and Sharapova were identified as teenage talents, with the Russian winning Wimbledon at 17 and the Spaniard winning the junior French Open at 18.
However, the transition to the senior level was when Badosa felt the pressure of being compared to Sharapova. While the Russian had already won Grand Slams and reached No.1 by her 20s, Badosa struggled with the pressures of the Tour, as her results took a hit during her late teens and early 20s. However, she was able to get back on track, winning a major title at Indian Wells in 2021 and reaching No. 2 in the rankings in 2022.
Badosa openly talked about how the comparisons with Sharapova were both inspiring and burdensome for her. Talking on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, she opened up on both sides of the coin.
“Yes, she was when I grew up and as I said, it’s not all the game that she was playing, it was what she was going like above tennis. She had a different mindset of being an athlete but more than that. So that’s something that I really liked about her and was very inspiring,” said Badosa on the podcast. “I went through depression and I had mental health problems. Because I was 18, I was a very good junior, but then the step of going to the pro was not easy. You start losing, and people expect you to be the next Sharapova. They wondered why I wasn’t in the Top 10 yet, but I wasn’t even in the Top 100 at that moment. The expectations were super high, but my level and mental capacity weren’t ready for that.”
The similarities between the two extend not only to career paths but also to their playing styles. Badosa is one of the most effective baseline players in the game and has an equally strong serve to get her opponents out of balance, something that Sharapova was known for as well. Both had their backhand as their signature shots, making them strong returners as well.
While meeting Sharapova was a huge moment for Badosa, the Spaniard also had a great moment on the court as she reached the semifinals in São Paulo, with the former World No. 2 showing signs of getting back to form.
Paula Badosa Shows Signs of Coming Back to Form
Badosa’s 6-4,6-2 win over Stoiana in the quarterfinal meant that the Spaniard had reached her second Tour-level semifinal in 2026. She had reached the Iasi Open final in July, but had to retire in her match against Mayar Sherif. These results are significant for Badosa, as the Spaniard has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years.
Even this year, Badosa has had two mid-match retirements, including the one against Elina Svitolina in Dubai. The Spaniard has a chronic back injury, which forces her to take cortisone injections to keep on playing. While she has worked her way up the rankings in recent months, the former World No.2 had fallen out of the World’s Top 100 during the clay season, where she had four successive losses, which went to five after her loss on the grass at the Libema Open.
Her loss of form meant Badosa could not secure direct entry to Roland Garros, and, given her physical condition, it was understandable that she chose not to play the qualifying rounds. The Spaniard decided to play Challenger events to build up her ranking, which worked, as she won a title in Bastad.
Badosa will now face Nadia Podoroska in the semifinal in Brazil, and given the draw, the Spaniard will be hopeful of winning a Tour-level title since her title in Washington back in 2024.