"I couldn't stop crying, I cried non-stop" - Paula Badosa reveals how rain delay in Citi Open final helped with emotional release

Paula Badosa revealed she cried "non-stop" during a delay after losing the second set of her Citi Open final against Marie Bouzkova. The Spaniard said that helped her calm down and win the deciding set. She added she was proud of how she dealt with her emotions.

The Citi Open fell victim to the monsoon rain in Washington DC, leading to multiple delays and suspensions of play. The final of the WTA 500 event was no different as Badosa and Bouzkova saw their title match delayed twice.

The Spaniard won the first set of the final convincingly. However, Bouzkova fought back and took the second set to force a decider. The deciding set was delayed and Badosa had to deal with the emotions of being on the backfoot.

The 26-year-old has been through multiple injury problems in the past two years. She reached a career-high rank of World No. 2 in 2022 but her career has been derailed since. In Washington DC, finding herself so close to winning a title after over two years, Badosa said she cried non-stop after losing the second set.

During a post-match press conference, she revealed:

"I came out of the court [after the second set] crying so much. Really, I couldn't stop crying. My team didn't know what to do because I just cried non-stop... I think that also helped me a bit to release my emotions because I was really, really nervous."

"Then after crying, like, I don't know how much time... I calmed down. I changed. I'm like, 'Paula, it's a set, just give everything you can'... It worked pretty well. I took my opportunities. Look, I'm very proud of how I dealt with it," she added.

Badosa was able to keep her cool in the deciding set and won the match 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to win her first title since 2022.

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Paula Badosa called her family and boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas after winning Citi Open title

Paula Badosa at The Wimbledon Championships 2024 (Image: Getty)

Paula Badosa was observed to be in an emotional state after winning the Citi Open final against Marie Bouzkova. Soon after the winning point, she fell to the ground with tears in her eyes and even kissed the court surface.

During her post-match press conference, she was asked if she had the time to call her family and boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas. Badosa said she she contacted them soon after the win.

"Yeah, it's the first thing I did on court. I called my family and Stefanos, of course, because I know they're always there for me. They've been in the tough moments. They've seen me very, very down this last year," Badosa said.

"I wanted to live the moments with them because of course without them I wouldn't be here because they support me every day, 24/7. There was moments that I didn't know what to do with my career. They were there," she added.

Badosa is suffering from a chronic back injury that led her to miss multiple events and fall out of the Top 100. However, the Spaniard has made a comeback into the Top 50 with the Citi Open title. She will next feature in the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, Canada.