Paula Badosa hilariously thanks her coach for "not getting her in trouble" again following China Open 'racism' controversy

Paula Badosa playfully thanked her fitness coach, Pol Toledo, for posting a non-controversial image of her, following the backlash from his previous post. In the earlier post related to the China Open, Badosa faced accusations of racism for a gesture, for which she later apologized.

Almost two weeks ago, Toledo took to Instagram to post several pictures of Badosa and her team in Beijing for the China Open. The Spaniard had put up an impressive display but faced a semifinal exit against the eventual champion Coco Gauff. However, her on-court exploits were overshadowed by an off-court controversy.

In one of the images on Toledo's post, Badosa was seen pulling her eyes back with a chopstick, a gesture that was interpreted by fans as offensive and racist. The 26-year-old received huge backlash after which the image was removed from the post.

In Toledo's latest Instagram post, he shared a picture of Badosa from behind, waving to the crowd on the court. The image symbolized gratitude for the season, as reflected in the caption. Toledo announced that Badosa's season had come to an end and wished her well, writing:

"You truly deserve every success that comes your way. @paulabadosa."

Badosa uploaded the post on her Instagram Story and playfully wrote:

"Thank you for not posting a picture that gets me in trouble this time.."

Paula Badosa's Instagram Story (Image: Instagram @paulabadosa)

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Paula Badosa deleted her comments following the China Open 'racism' controversy

Paula Badosa at the 2024 China Open (Image: Getty)

On Pol Toledo's Instagram post, Paula Badosa explained her actions saying she did not think her gesture would be perceived the way it was.

"Oh no please don't get it that way. Never thought it would get interpreted this way we weren't even imitating Asian people. I was playing around with my face and wrinkles. I love Asia one of my favorite people and have plenty of Asian friends. They are the kindest," she wrote.

This comment, however, was deleted later. In another now-deleted X (formerly Twitter) post, the Spaniard apologized for her actions and wrote:

"Hey guys! Really sorry didn’t know this was offensive towards racism. My mistake. I take full responsibility. This mistakes will make me learn for next time. Hope you understand…. I love you all."

Soon after the controversy, Badosa withdrew from the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan. She participated in the WTA 500 event in Ningbo and pulled off another semifinal run. The eighth seed lost the first set in the semifinal against Daria Kasatkina and retired from the match.

The 26-year-old then withdrew from the Japan Open before announcing the end of her 2024 season. She was proud of her achievements this year as she won a title for the first time since 2022 and broke into the Top 15 again after dropping out in January 2023.