Paula Badosa

Paula Badosa Gibert (Catalan: [ˈpawlə βəˈðozə ʒiˈβɛɾt]) (born 15 November 1997) is a Spanish professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 2 in singles by the WTA and No. 124 in doubles, achieved on 25 April 2022. She has won four WTA Tour singles titles, including a WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells, and reached a major semifinal at the 2025 Australian Open.

As a junior, Badosa was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world and was the 2015 French Open junior champion. As a professional, she broke into the top 100 in 2019. The next year, a fourth round berth at the French Open brought her into the top 70. Badosa made new strides in 2021 after a breakthrough clay swing when she won her first career title in Belgrade. She entered the top ten following a WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells, and peaked at world No. 2 in early 2022. Subsequent injury struggles led Badosa dropping out of the world's top 100 in early 2024 before resurging in the latter half of the season, returning to the top 15 and being named the Comeback Player of the Year.

Badosa is an aggressive baseliner, whose game style is centered around her big serve and groundstrokes. At 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in), she possesses one of the fastest serves on tour, allowing her to dictate rallies, but she is also an athletic counterpuncher, whose defense has enabled her to reach drop shots and cover all angles on the court.

Paula Badosa was born in Manhattan, New York, to Spanish parents Mireia Gibert Baró and Josep Badosa Codolar. Both of her parents worked in fashion. When she was seven, Badosa and her family moved back to Barcelona. She then started playing tennis, at Club Tennis d'Aro (Platja d'Aro). At the age of 14, she moved to Valencia in order to progress in tennis. At the age of 17, she returned to Barcelona.

Besides Spanish, she speaks Catalan, English and a little French. Her favourite tournament is the US Open. Her idols growing up were Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova. Badosa has also said she is a huge admirer of Simona Halep.

When she was a child she aspired to be a model, following her parents' path. She has struggled with depression and anxiety.

Badosa is a former junior world No. 8. She made her debut at the ITF Junior Circuit in September 2012, at the age of 14. In February 2014, she won her first junior singles title at the Grade-1 Mediterranee Avenir in Casablanca. In April 2014, she won the doubles title at a Grade-1 tournament, the Trofeo Juan Carlos Ferrero in Villena. In May 2014, she reached the semifinals of the Grade-A Trofeo Bonfiglio in doubles.

In the junior division of the 2014 French Open, she was able to reach the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles. She then reached the quarterfinals in the juniors division at Wimbledon in singles. She finished runner-up at the European Junior Championships in singles, losing to compatriot Sara Sorribes Tormo, and finished runner–up in doubles. She completed her junior career at the 2015 French Open, where she won the girls' singles title. In juniors she won three singles and one doubles titles on the circuit.