"Reminds me of Maria Sharapova & Grigor Dimitrov; right person but wrong moment" - Paula Badosa on her split with Stefanos Tsitsipas

Paula Badosa recently said her breakup with Stefanos Tsitsipas reminds her of Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova's relationship.

Badosa and Tsitsipas made their relationship public during the 2023 French Open. Their relationship has been riveting for tennis fans, from attending each other's matches to posting pictures on their joint Instagram account and updating selfies on their Spotify profiles.

On Sunday, Paula Badosa announced on her Instagram story that they had amicably agreed to end their relationship.

Badosa is competing at the 2024 Italian Open, where she defeated 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-2, 6-3 in the first round on Tuesday. Speaking to Tennis.com after the match, Badosa weighed in on her split with the Greek, suggesting she met the right person at the wrong time.

She added that it reminds her of Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova's relationship that lasted a couple of years from 2013 to 2015.

“This reminds me a lot of the story of Maria [Sharapova] and Grigor [Dimitrov], where you meet the right person but maybe in the wrong moment. It’s a little bit like this,” Paula Badosa said.

Having won her first WTA 1000 title at the 2021 Indian Wells Open, Badosa is in pursuit of her second at the Italian Open. Before this season, Badosa had competed in the Italian Open only twice. In 2022, she suffered a third-round exit, and in 2023, she was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Jelena Ostapenko.

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Paula Badosa on her split with Stefanos Tsitsipas - “It was nothing bad that happened, it’s just life”

Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas

In the same interview on Tuesday, Badosa said "nothing bad" happened between Stefanos Tsitsipas and herself, and pointed out that their break up was just part of life. The Spaniard added that they will still meet each other on Tour, and remained unsure of what the future holds for their relationship.

“We have a great relationship between us," Badosa said. "He’s a great guy and I wish him the best. I know that it’s the same on his side. I have so much support from everyone: my family, my team, my friends. I even feel support from his team and his family. They’ve all been very supportive of both of us."

"In the end, it was nothing bad that happened. It’s just life. I know we’ll keep seeing each other on tour, and you never know what will happen in the future," Badosa said.

Badosa's next match is against 22-year-old American Emma Navarro in the second round of the Italian Open. This will be the first tour-level meeting between them.