Paula Badosa’s journey back to the courts has been anything but easy. A recurring lower back injury first hit her in Rome 2023, leaving her with two fractured vertebrae. After a long road to recovery, she made a strong comeback in 2024 by winning the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open. But the pain came back again in Merida in March 2025, leading to painful withdrawals from Indian Wells and Miami after reaching the last 16. However, the latest heartbreak came in Madrid. Just before her opening match, the injury sidelined her once again. Even with all these setbacks, Badosa is not the kind to back down. Her coach, Pol Toledo Bague, has been highlighting her fighting spirit every step of the way.
There was a moment in 2023 when things looked even darker. Doctors had warned Badosa that it would be “very complicated” for her to continue playing without cortisol injections. At the same time, she slipped out of the Top 100 in the women’s singles rankings. Even though she says the injections are helping her, the pain hasn’t disappeared completely. But giving up was never in the script for the Spaniard.
That’s where Pol Toledo Bague comes into the picture. He’s seen her struggles closely, and his admiration for her has only grown. Speaking to Eurosport, he said, “How brave and strong she is, above all strong. Last year we were very fucked, it was hard to pull forward, but it did. Today, I would never give her up for dead, she gives her life for this sport, she goes out of her way. That’s what surprised me the most, her passion for this sport, tennis is everything to her. Winning makes her so happy that she only thinks about recovering to have that feeling again.”
Their story goes back a few years. Pol Toledo Bague officially became her coach after Javier Marti’s departure in August 2021. Under his guidance, Badosa lifted two singles titles—Belgrade in 2021 and the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open in 2024. She also climbed to a career-high ranking of No.2 in April 2022! Even with all the injury troubles, 2025 brought some big moments for Badosa. She made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open, which was an improvement over her quarterfinal runs at the 2021 French Open and the 2024 US Open. It’s clear the 27-year-old is still chasing greatness, even if her body doesn’t always cooperate.
Fans haven’t missed the coach’s impact either. After watching her comeback in 2024, where she stormed back into the Top 30 and won in Washington, one fan praised Pol Toledo on X. They wrote, “I think it is time to mention (and recognize) the role of Pol Toledo. Paula Badosa has had good results lately due to many factors and one of them is him. Not only the preparation of the pre-match strategy but also the adjustments after a rain break.”
Badosa herself didn’t hold back her emotions when replying. She wrote, “I couldn’t agree more. What a great analysis on your part. People tend to praise the player but without the coach behind him, it wouldn’t be the same. He is the most important part of my professional career. One of the best people and professionals I have ever had. @PolToledoBague.(Translated from Spanish)”
Thanks to this incredible comeback, Badosa ended the year by being named the 2024 WTA Comeback Player of the Year. A well-deserved reward after a season of grit and grind.
Of course, even strong partnerships have their fiery moments.
When Paula Badosa got angry at her coach
At the Australian Open earlier this year, Paula Badosa found herself in a tough match against the 17th seed, Marta Kostyuk. After taking the first set 6-4, she went 0-5 down in the second. Frustration took over. During a changeover, she shouted at her box, complaining about the wind and even offered them her racket, almost daring them to play instead.
Badosa did rally to win four games in a row, but the hole was too deep. Kostyuk closed the second set 6-4 and then won the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Many thought she was lashing out at her boyfriend, Stefanos Tsitsipas, but it turned out she was actually venting at Pol Toledo. The coach later admitted he had been “provoking” her to fire her up for the battle ahead.
Now, with her clay season put on hold, Badosa once again finds herself in a fight with her own body. The Spaniard’s story is one of resilience, loyalty, and sheer love for the game. Will Paula Badosa come back even stronger this time, too?
The post “We Were Very F*cked” – Paula Badosa’s Coach Lays Bare Her Gritty Fight Against Pain and Overwhelming Setbacks appeared first on EssentiallySports.
