Paula Badosa, ranked world No. 12, has withdrawn from the 2025 US Open due to a recurring back injury, a decision announced by tournament officials on August 8, 2025, hours after her emotional Instagram post reflecting on personal and professional struggles. The 27-year-old Spaniard, who reached the Australian Open semifinals in January 2025 and the US Open quarterfinals in 2024, shared, “I wasn’t built by easy days. I was shaped by the moments that broke me… Failure taught me what success never could,” without explicitly mentioning her withdrawal, per Yahoo Sports and Express.co.uk. Her exit, prompted by a chronic back issue that also sidelined her for the 2023 US Open, ends her participation in both singles and mixed doubles, where she was set to partner British No. 1 Jack Draper.
Badosa’s withdrawal is a significant blow for Draper, ranked No. 5, as the mixed doubles event offered a potential £740,000 ($1 million) prize for the winners, per Express.co.uk. Initially, Badosa was slated to play with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, but after their reported breakup—evidenced by unfollowing each other on Instagram post-Wimbledon—she switched to Draper, per Sportskeeda. Draper, who had already lost his original partner, Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng, to elbow surgery, now faces uncertainty about finding a new teammate for the 16-team event, which starts August 24, per Express.co.uk.
Badosa’s 2025 season has been a mix of resilience and setbacks. Her Australian Open semifinal run, defeating Coco Gauff, marked a career highlight, but a first-round Wimbledon loss to Katie Boulter (6-4, 6-3) exacerbated her back injury, forcing her to skip the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens, per Sportskeeda. Her emotional Instagram post, as quoted by Tennis.com, emphasized growth through adversity: “This decision was incredibly difficult to make… Right now I need to focus on my health and recovery.” Swiss player Jil Teichmann replaces Badosa in the women’s singles main draw, with Alizé Cornet as the first alternate, per @TennisPublisher on X.
Draper’s prospects in mixed doubles remain uncertain, with potential replacements like Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur or Katerina Siniakova and Marcelo Arevalo in contention, per Sportskeeda. The US Open’s new pre-tournament mixed doubles format, featuring high-profile pairs like Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, intensifies competition for the eight direct entries and eight wildcards, per Express.co.uk. Badosa’s withdrawal, lamented by fans on X like @TheTennisLetter for derailing her top-10 return, leaves Draper to navigate this £740,000 setback as he prepares for singles and the Six Kings Slam in October.
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