"I wish they'd listen to me"- Paula Badosa on wanting to feel Iga Swiatek-like control over her tennis balls after Pole's reported comment

Paula Badosa jokingly reacted to a comment made by Iga Swiatek regarding having tennis balls under control. After her victory against Madison Keys in the quarterfinal of the Italian Open, the Pole commented that the tennis balls listened to her during the match.

Badosa first made waves on the tennis circuit when she won the junior French Open in 2015. That win catapulted her to fame, although her major break in the WTA tour came in 2020 when she made it to the last 16 at Roland Garros having defeated past major champions Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko. Winning the Indian Wells WTA 1000 event in 2021 remains her biggest on-court achievement so far.

Multiple injuries have sidelined Badosa in the last couple of seasons. Even the 2024 season has seen the Spanish player withdraw from multiple events, and lose in the earlier rounds. However, she made an impressive run at the ongoing Italian Open where she reached the round of 16. She lost to Coco Gauff in three sets.

In the same event, Iga Swiatek reached the semifinal after defeating Madison Keys in the quarterfinal clash. The top seed seemed to be in fine form as she managed to overcome her opponent, conceding just four games. The Pole is reported to have stated that she was playing so fluently that it seemed like the tennis balls were obeying her commands.

"Iga said that today for the first time she felt that she could play the way she wanted and that balls listened to her," wrote an X user.

Paula Badosa replied to the post, jokingly stating that she wished she had that much control over the game.

"I wish they would listen to me like they listen to her," Paula Badosa replied to the post on X.

Swiatek is gunning for her third title at the Italian Open having won in Rome previously in 2021 and 2022.

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Badosa and Swiatek have squared off just twice on the WTA Tour

Despite being two of the most prolific players on the WTA tour, Paula Badosa and Iga Swiatek have faced each other just twice. The first match was at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which was won by the Spaniard. Badosa, however, had to retire in the quarterfinal due to the stifling weather conditions in Tokyo.

2021 WTA Finals - Day 6

The second match between the duo was in the WTA final in 2021. Swiatek won the match in the round-robin stage. Despite this win, Swiatek could not progress to the next round. Badosa made it to the semifinal where she lost to eventual champion and compatriot Garbine Muguruza.

Since then, the career trajectories of the two players have been opposites. Swiatek has gone on to win multiple Grand Slams and has been World No. 1 for over 100 weeks now. On the other hand, Badosa has struggled to find her form while recuperating from her multiple injuries.