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Paula Badosa Opens Charleston With Win as Hip Tear and Self-Doubt Linger

The result signals a tentative step in a comeback complicated by a torn hip labrum plus mounting self-doubt.

Overview

  • Paula Badosa, who beat American Kayla Day on Tuesday, opened her Charleston campaign 6-4, 6-3 on a wildcard.
  • She confirmed a torn labrum in her right hip with related psoas and back issues, which she is treating with pain-relief injections instead of surgery.
  • The former world No. 2 said negative thoughts now disrupt her matches, describing a daily fight with fear and self-doubt.
  • Following a second-round loss in Miami, her ranking slipped outside the top 100 to roughly No. 112, adding pressure to rebuild on clay.
  • Next she faces 10th seed Maria Sakkari, a match that could show how much her form and confidence are returning during the spring clay swing.