Strasbourg
“Delusional” Badosa won’t abandon her RG dream
With her WTA career consistently derailed by an on-again, off-again back injury, Paula Badosa can never be sure of her chances at any event.
But the 10th-ranked Spaniard who once cracked the ranking top 10 is clinging to the belief that she can make an impression when the French Open starts on Sunday.
“I have to be realistic. Of course, if I’m delusional and I want to dream, I’m approaching this tournament the same as the Australian Open (semi-final last January),” the 27-year-old said.
“But that’s not the reality. I’ve (only) played one full match in the last two months and a half. The reality here is to play as many matches as possible.
“Every minute on court now is very valuable. So it’s just that and no expectations.”
The Spaniard will start her Roland Garros quest with actual expectations in check.
“If I can play one match, good. If I can play three, great. For now the goal in French Open is not what it should be, but because I’m coming from an injury.”
Badosa faces a tough ask against another former elite player, facing four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the first round.
Badosa’s best Paris showing was a 2021 quarter-final while Osaka has never passed the third round.
The Spaniard arrives in Paris after a quarter-final this week in Strasbourg.
“The conditions here, I always like them. I love to play in
Paris. Yeah, I’m playing Monday, so I have one more day tomorrow.
‘As you all know, she’s (Osaka) a great, great player, I respect her so much. Not for things she did on court, but especially also off court.
“I know she likes to play the big matches. It’s where she plays her best game, so I’m expecting her best level on Monday.”
Main photo:- Paula Badosa played Miami Open 2025
Emma Navarro won the 2026 WTA Strasbourg Open singles final defeating the top seed, Victoria Mboko, in three-sets, 6–0, 5–7, 6–2.
In a match lasting two hours and 20 minutes the unseeded American dominated the opening set, but the Canadian world No. 9 fought back to claim a tight second set.
Navarro regained control in the final set to secure her third career WTA singles title and her first-ever title on clay.
Emma Raducanu will head to the Sunday start at Roland Garros with one clay court match in her spring resumee after taking a 6-4, 7-6 (4) opening loss in Strasbourg to Diane Parry.
The Briton had played her last match more than two months ago at Indian Wells, came and went on the clay Tuesday after a long pause due to various injury and illness scenarios.
The No. 37 was coachless until a few days ago when she returned Andrew Richardson to post after he guided her to the US Open title in 2021 as a teenaged qualifier.
Raducanu could well struggle in Paris when Grand Slam play gets underway after missing most of the spring.
The Brit got away to a 4-2 led over Frenchwoman Parry, but the margin soon evaporated as double-faults came into play.
She salvaged five break points in the second set but was unable to establish a comeback rhythm against her 94th-ranked local opponent.
Raducanu managed to stop Parry from serving out a 5-4 lead but was unable to make a match of it in the tiebreaker as she took the loss after two and a half hours in the French city near the German border.
Though she lost serve five times, Raducanu did hold off 16 other break chances in the defeat.
Emma Raducanu has gone back to the future with her latest choice of coach, choosing to re-group with the mentor who helped her to a US Open title five long years ago.
The Briton whose career has been a patchwork of changing coaches and near-constant injuries and illness since her 2021 big day in New York, revealed she has re-employed Andrew Richardson, her OG coach.
The pair split not long after then-teenaged Raducanu won the Open title from an unprecedented qualifying start.
She has since struggled and wil head to Roland Garros from next Sunday with only one clay tournament, a late wild-card entry into Strasbourg.
“Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time,” she posted on social media.
The WTA no. 30 has played just 15 matches this season – none on clay – with her last one more than two months ago.
Main photo:- Emma Raducanu with her coach, Andrew Richardson at the 2021 US Open
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