Stefanos Tsitsipas lends support to girlfriend Paula Badosa amid Indian Wells injury struggles
Indian Wells, Calif. The BNP Paribas Open began with an on-court Tsitsidosa reunion between off-court couple Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, who has struggled with injuries since peaking at No. 2 in the WTA rankings in 2022.
But after the 2021 champion was forced to withdraw from Tennis Paradise due to a persistent back issue, she posted a wistful caption on social media: One day I’ll be smiling on a court again, and Tsitsipas opened up about supporting his off-court partner through the toughest patch of her career.
It does create a difficult time for not just Paula but me as well, having to be there and keep pushing her to kind of get well and jump back on the court,” he explained after a straight-set win over Frances Tiafoe. “She’s kind of been in and out. The most frustrating part about all of this is that she did play a few matches, and then she didn’t feel that well again, so it has been a tricky time for both of us.
On my end, I’m trying to find the right words and the right things to say. Obviously, when it started in the beginning, you had a lot of faith in it and you’re like, ‘Okay, you just need to stay committed in the process of healing and getting better.’ But after a while, there aren’t many things you can say because you are confused about what’s happening with the body.
I’m just there as much as I can to keep making her feel good that at least we are together and we’re trying to find a solution together.
Tsitsipas and Badosa have been inseparable since making their relationship public last spring, creating a popular couple’s Instagram page, and becoming frequent fixtures at each other’s’ matches. Where Tsitsipas has had his own injury struggles in the last 12 months, Badosa missed three of the four major tournaments in 2023, and despite starting the new season with a run to the 2024 Australian Open third round, she has been off court since retiring in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February.
I do feel like time will show, and soon I’m pretty sure she will be fully healed and be ready to go full again,” insisted Tsitsipas, who appeared alongside Badosa at the Indian Wells Taste of Tennis event last week.
Tsitsipas’ own drop in the rankings—falling from a career-high of No. 3 to a five-year low of No. 12—put him in a tricky section of the draw that not only included 2023 semifinalist Tiafoe but also No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev, who could be his fourth-round opponent.
