"I feel Latina" - Paula Badosa expresses her connection with Latin American culture and community

Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa recently said that she has a special connection with Latin America, adding that she feels Latina and identifies with the culture and community.

Born in New York to Spanish parents, Badosa is not a native or inhabitant of Latin America. However, her Spanish background seems to have resonated with the Latino culture as she holds some of her "best memories" there.

Taking to social media, Badosa said that every Latin American country has a place in her heart and expressed her desire to visit all of them.

"Latin America is a part of me," Paula Badosa wrote on Instagram. "I feel Latina and identified with all the Latino culture and community. My best memories are always there! I still have countries to visit, but I will visit each one of them because each one is a part of my heart. Up those Latinos."

Via Badosa's Instagram stories

Paula Badosa has been away from the tour since the Wimbledon Championships, where she suffered a second-round exit. She was forced to retire midway during her match against Marta Kostyuk due to a back injury.

Badosa has since been undergoing rehabilitation. She missed the North American swing, including the US Open. Earlier this year, she withdrew from the Australian Open due to an adductor injury, which she picked up during a warm-up event in Adelaide.

Later, a stress fracture in her vertebrae forced the former World No. 2 out of the French Open, meaning her only Grand Slam appearance in 2023 came at Wimbledon.

---

Paula Badosa hopeful of returning to competitive tennis by January 2024

Paula Badosa at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

With her recovery in full swing, Paula Badosa hopes to return to competitive tennis by January 2024.

Badosa joins a long list of players, including Rafael Nadal, Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, and others across both tours, who are expected to mark their comeback at the start of next season.

In a recent interview with SDNA, the Spaniard expressed her desire to be match-fit by January in Australia, where she would like to play mixed doubles with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"I hope to be ready in January," Badosa said. "Now I must not move because it is the spine and it is a sensitive point. I hope to be in Australia in January and to play mixed doubles with Stefanos."

Badosa played 11 tournaments this year, with her best result coming at the Adelaide International 2. She secured three straight-set wins en route to the semifinals only to withdraw from the event due to a thigh injury.