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Paula Badosa recently expressed support for her colleagues suffering physically from playing with heavier tennis balls on tour.
Badosa herself has sat out for the majority of the 2023 season with an injury to her back. She sustained a stress fracture to her spine during the Italian Open in May. She couldn't complete her Wimbledon campaign and withdrew from the US Open owing to the spinal injury.
Several players, including Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, and Ons Jabeur, have raised concerns over the use of heavier balls on tour. Portuguese tennis player Gastao Elias became the latest addition to the list, demanding compensation for physiotherapy from the ATP.
"I demand @atptour to pay for all the physiotherapy I will need after playing with these balls they are making us play with. I’ve been on tour for many years and I’ve never seen anything like this. This is inhumane," Elias wrote in a tweet.
Tennys Sandgren chimed in writing:
"I agree. Never seen anything like it."
Paula Badosa joined the conversation highlighting the same problem on the women's circuit as well.
"Agree! The issue is not only ATP unfortunately… With the WTA we are having the same problems for years as well. We need a change from both sides," she wrote.
"Things are not good at the moment" - Paula Badosa on her recovery
Paula Badosa recently revealed that she needs to be extra cautious while recovering. She stated that the spine is a sensitive area and it will take her time to heal completely.
"Things are not good at the moment. You need time to heal from a stress fracture and the process is long. Now I must not move because it is the spine and it is a sensitive point," she said via SDNA.
The Spaniard vowed to return to action in time for the Australian Open to be played in January 2024. She expressed her wish to play mixed doubles with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas.
"I hope to be ready in January. I hope to be in Australia in January and to play mixed doubles with Stefanos," Paula Badosa added.
The couple would have already debuted as a team at the Wimbledon Championships this year if Badosa were fit. The pair were scheduled to take on the American duo of Austin Krajicek and Jessica Pegula. But Badosa quit the Championships after feeling discomfort while playing against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the second round.
