Paula Badosa has endured a difficult 2026 season which has ended in retirement at the Hong Kong Open.
Badosa, who is a former world number two, has been through many physical issues in recent years, including a chronic back condition.
This has continued into the 2026 season, which has also seen Badosa struggle with a hip issue, but it was actually a heat-related illness that forced the Spaniard to retire in her first round match in Hong Kong.
Badosa has now retired from 40 matches in her career, and she has released a statement providing some insight into her future plans after her 2026 season came to an end in disappointing fashion.
Predict the next WTA player to make their debut as world number one! 💭
Elena Rybakina has just become the 30th world number one since 1975 🥇
Paula Badosa says she will ‘be back’ after injury disrupted 2026 season
Badosa took to Instagram to reflect on her season coming to an end, as she looked back on all of the struggles she went through this year. While Badosa was honest about how challenging a year it has been for her, the 28-year-old confirmed that she will be back on the WTA Tour in 2027.
She wrote, “My season has come to an end. Looking at these pictures in black and white, I feel like it reflects this season better than any words could. It hasn’t been an easy one. There have been moments that have hurt more than people know, days when things felt heavier than they should, and times when I’ve had to deal with a lot more than just what happens on the court.
“This season has tested my patience, my confidence and my ability to keep going when things haven’t gone my way. It hasn’t always been easy to stay positive, but even on the hardest days, one thing never changed: I never stopped believing in myself and in what I’m capable of.
“I know how much I’ve put into this, how many sacrifices I’ve made and how badly I wanted things to be different. And even though this isn’t how I wanted my season to end, I’m proud of myself for continuing to show up, to fight and to give everything I had, even when it wasn’t easy.
“To the people who have been there through all of it, not just when things were going well, but especially when they weren’t…Thank you. For listening, for understanding, for reminding me who I am when I needed it most, and for never making me feel like I had to go through it all alone. You know who you are, and I’ll never take that for granted.
“I’m ending this season with a lot of emotions, a lot of lessons and a fire inside me that hasn’t gone anywhere. I can’t change what happened, but I can decide what I do with it. I know what I’ve been through, I know what I’m working for, and I know I’m not done. I owe it to myself to keep going, to come back, and to give myself the chance to show what I know I can do.
“This chapter didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m not closing my story here. I’ll be back. And when I am, I’ll remember exactly why I started. See you in 2027. P.”
Badosa’s Instagram post was met with support from a number of her fellow WTA players including Alex Eala and Eva Lys, with her friend Aryna Sabalenka also liking the post.
Despite all of the challenges Badosa has been through this year, there have also been some highlights for her. After dropping to as low as world number 142 in June, Badosa won a WTA 125 title in Bastad and reached the final of the Iasi Open to return to the top 100.
Badosa won 29 of the 52 matches she played in 2026, and ends the year ranked inside the top 60.
