Paula Badosa has officially withdrawn from the Indian Wells main draw as she continues to battle a lingering back injury. The 2021 champion had already retired from her quarterfinal match at the WTA 500 Mérida Open last week against Daria Saville (6-1, 3-5, ret.) due to discomfort.
Despite the setback, Badosa still traveled to Tennis Paradise in hopes of assessing her physical condition. She initially withdrew from the Eisenhower Cup, where she was set to partner with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, but left her main draw status undecided.
However, tournament organizers have now confirmed that she withdrew the night before her scheduled second-round match against Caroline Dolehide. This marks the second consecutive year she has missed Indian Wells due to the same injury.
Currently ranked world No. 8 in the live rankings, Badosa risks slipping down the rankings, with Emma Navarro and Zheng Qinwen able to overtake her with a single win. Additionally, Mirra Andreeva reaching at least the fourth round could push Badosa out of the top 10.
“I’m very sorry to withdraw from one of my favorite tournaments,” Badosa said in a statement. “I tried until the last moment to play. I am really sad & hopefully will be back next year!”
With two weeks off ahead, her next potential tournament is the Miami Open. However, there is no confirmation on the extent of her back injury—the same issue that sidelined her for much of 2023 and has troubled her throughout her career.
