Paula Badosa looks to have put her injury nightmare aside as she prepares for her French Open meeting with Naomi Osaka.
Badosa pulled out of the Italian Open with a back injury, having been drawn to face former WTA number one Osaka in Rome.
Spanish star Badosa had trouble walking due to her injury, which has forced her out of many events in recent times.
But she returned earlier this week at Strasbourg, where the WTA number 10 lost in the quarter-finals to Liudmila Samsonova.
Badosa now turns her attention to the French Open, having been limited to just 21 matches so far this season.
Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty ImagesPaula Badosa fitness update ahead of French Open tie vs Naomi Osaka
The Spaniard meets four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka in round one of the Grand Slam, and has now shared an injury update before Monday’s clash.
“I’m pretty happy with the performance [in Strasbourg],” she said. “As you know coming back always the toughest part is physically. I think I recovered pretty well after that match.
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“The goal was a little bit to play a long match, I had that against a very good player, so happy with more or less my level, and looking forward for Monday here.
“It wasn’t easy at all. It was a tough few months, especially because I think I was playing some of my best tennis before the injury when it happened in Mexico.
“I was feeling very well physically, mentally. So having to stop again, and it was a completely different injury this time, and it was like constantly pain.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
“So having a normal life was tough for me and it’s been tough, tough few months. I wasn’t expecting maybe having an injury like this again in the back, but now I’m feeling good.
“Just that physically, I’m not where I want to be. I think it’s normal. Maybe when we speak back again I will be there.
“But now it’s a process that I’ve been through, it’s not the best thing to go through, but I have to accept it and play with what I have.”
What Paula Badosa thinks of Naomi Osaka ahead of French Open match
Badosa will likely relish the challenge against former world number one Osaka, with the duo coming together on the court for the first time.
At the same time, however, she may have wanted to come up against a less experienced player in round one of Roland Garros.
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But the French Open 10th seed can rely on her recent Grand Slam success for some confidence, having enjoyed a superb run at the Australian Open.
The 27-year-old reached the semi-finals in Melbourne at the start of the year before falling to Aryna Sabalenka.
Sharing her current timeline and a verdict on her upcoming opponent, Badosa said: “I finished the day before in Strasbourg. I arrived yesterday, today was my first hit here.
“The conditions here I always like them. I love to play in Paris and yeah I’m playing Monday, so I have one more day tomorrow.
“And the first round, well as you all know, she’s a great, great player. I respect her so much, not for things she did on court, but especially also off court.
“I know she likes to play the big matches, it’s where she plays better, her best game. So I’m expecting her best level on Monday.”
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