Paula Badosa’s hopes of building on last year’s breakthrough at the US Open have been crushed after the Spaniard confirmed she will miss the entire North American hard-court swing due to a stubborn back injury.
The 27-year-old reached the quarterfinals in New York 12 months ago, later backing it up with her first Grand Slam semifinal in Melbourne. But instead of chasing more accomplishments, the world No. 12 will spend the next month focusing solely on her recovery.
“I wasn’t built by easy days,” Badosa wrote on social media after the US Open announced her withdrawal.