Paula Badosa hit with another back injury on comeback trail, forced to retire midway through Thailand Open 2R clash

Paula Badosa recently had to retire from her second-round match at the 2024 Thailand Open due to a lower back injury. This is the second time in less than a year that Badosa has suffered a back problem. A spinal stress fracture had forced her to withdraw from the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Badosa’s comeback run, which saw her reach the third round of the Australian Open, has come to a halt in Thailand. She was trailing Diana Shnaider 2-6, 4-3 in the second round when she decided to call it quits. Badosa defeated Lanlana Tararudee in the first round in three sets.

The Thailand Open's official Instagram account announced Badosa's withdrawal from the tournament.

"Unfortunately, Paula Badosa had to retire due to a lower back injury. Get well soon," the caption read.

Screenshot from Instagram

This was the fourth time in the span of a year that Badosa had to retire because of injury.

The Spaniard was first forced to withdraw ahead of her semifinal match against Daria Kasatkina at the 2023 Adelaide International 2 due to a thigh injury, which also made her miss the Australian Open.

Badosa then sustained a spinal stress fracture in Rome in May of 2023, which forced her to withdraw from the French Open, where she was a quarterfinalist in 2021. The 26-year-old then attempted a comeback at the Wimbledon Championships but had to retire in the second round against Marta Kostyuk.

Paula Badosa took a six-month break from the tour to recover and recuperate, and returned to action in January at the Adelaide International.. She also played at the Australian Open, making the third round for the second time in her career.

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A look at Paula Badosa's performance in the 2024 season so far

Paula Badosa at the 2024 Australian Open

Paula Badosa made her comeback to the tennis scene after missing the second half of the 2023 season due to a back injury.

The Spaniard started her 2024 campaign at Adelaide International, where she lost in the first round to Bernarda Pera 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. But she bounced back at the Australian Open, where she made it to the third round for the first time since 2022.

Badosa, currently ranked No. 83, started her campaign with a win over Taylor Townsend in the first round, dropping only four games. The 26-year-old then faced Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round and dispatched her in straight sets as well.

In the third round, she met Amanda Anisimova, losing to the American in straight sets.