BEIJING -- Paula Badosa entered the China Open last year following a two-month injury layoff after Wimbledon and faced another setback when she retired in the second round due to a thigh injury. A year later, Badosa is gaining form on the WTA Tour, having won 16 of her 27 matches in the last two and a half months after a first-round exit at Wimbledon.

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Badosa's recent success includes winning a title in Bastad, Sweden, and reaching the finals, semifinals, and quarterfinals in Iasi, Hamburg, and Sao Paulo. She moved on to the second round in Beijing with a challenging victory over Daria Kasatkina, winning 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4. This match was particularly intense, as Badosa came back from being two points away from defeat. She had also faced Kasatkina at the US Open, needing nine match points to secure that win.

Reflecting on her match in Beijing, Badosa noted the emotional intensity, stating, "I think it was also a very emotional roller-coaster match because we were both wanting it so badly. I know it was going to be a very tactical and physical match. I saw at the end she was struggling a bit, and I thought, this is my moment now. I'm happy that I got through it, especially because it was a mental battle for me."

In 2025, Badosa entered Wimbledon and Beijing ranked No. 9 and No. 18, respectively. After a series of missed tournaments and failing to defend semifinal points in Melbourne, her ranking fell to as low as No. 142. However, her recent performance has sparked hope for a comeback.

"It's been a very tough year for me, especially mentally. I couldn't at the beginning feel myself, see myself on court. Now, I think slowly I'm seeing again that Paula that I want to be. I'm one of the best players in the world," Badosa said.

Badosa aims to play as many matches as possible for the remainder of the season to prepare for a full preseason training camp next year. With the pressure off from having to defend points, she plans to make the most of her opportunities.

"The good part of not winning a lot at the beginning is I don't have a lot to defend," Badosa explained. "If I keep winning matches, it looks good in a way. I'm very proud that I could play a lot and win during the summer. I'm looking forward for the future, and hopefully it's a good one."

Badosa's goal is to raise her ranking as much as possible and to participate in four to five more tournaments this season. She humorously remarked on the challenges of facing World No. 4 Coco Gauff in the second round of the US Open due to her lower ranking.

"Hopefully I can play a lot there because then I will have the preseason to prepare for Australia. That's the goal with the team — to play as many matches as possible and to not have situations like the US Open," she said, adding, "I prefer to play Coco in later stages."