Badosa sends heartfelt message to Raducanu after ending her season in Beijing

BEIJING: Paula Badosa sent a heartfelt message to her rival and friend Emma Raducanu after ending her season in Beijing due to ongoing injury problems.

Badosa, 27, has endured a stop-start year plagued by physical setbacks. After returning from a three-month injury layoff, she was forced to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing, where she thanked Raducanu for the support during her difficult time.

Raducanu, 22, was also in action in Beijing. The British player reached the second round after defeating Cristina Bucsa, but then squandered three match points in a 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-0 defeat to Jessica Pegula.

Following her exit, Reducanu shared photos from her Asia tour, which included the Korea Open in Seoul.

Badosa responded warmly to the post, adding emojis before writing: “Such a cutie.Thanks for listening to me.”

Both enjoy the friendship off the court as well. Before facing each other in Washington last year, Badosa revealed that she enjoys Raducanu's company and both went for lunch, breakfast and shared their experiences.

“With her, honestly we spoke a lot. We had chats even off court,” Badosa said.

“We went for lunch, for breakfast. We spoke a lot about how tough it is to deal with all these expectations.”

It seems Badosa has once again turned to Raducanu for support following her injury. The 27-year-old announced the news on social media following her retirement from a third-round match in Beijing.

“There are times when I ask myself how I manage to keep going through the toughest, most painful moments. And the truth is, it’s in those exact moments that I discover the deepest strength inside me,” Badosa wrote.

“Every setback hurts, but it also reminds me how badly I want to fight, how much I want to come back stronger.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without the people who continue to support and believe in me. Your support carries me when things get heavy, and your faith gives me courage when doubt creeps in.”

Badosa closed with a promise of resilience and encouragement for Raducanu.

“There is truly no greater feeling than walking onto a tennis court and seeing you all there, standing behind me. That energy, that love. It’s something I can never thank you enough for. No matter how many obstacles come my way, I promise you this: I will keep fighting, I will keep pushing, and I will keep finding my way back. See you in 2026,” Badosa concluded.