At the Internationaux de Strasbourg, top seeds Paula Badosa and Elena Rybakina both achieved victories in their opening-round matches on Tuesday. Badosa, the No. 3 seed, faced off against Marie Bouzkova, while No. 4 seed Rybakina took on Wang Xinyu.
Badosa had been sidelined since March due to a recurring back injury, and her match was shaping up to be competitive at 3-3 when Bouzkova unfortunately had to retire due to injury. Rybakina, competing shortly after Badosa, secured a decisive 6-1, 6-3 win over Wang in just 64 minutes.
Reflecting on her match, Badosa expressed her mixed emotions, saying, “Honestly, I’m a bit tired. It was a very long match, as you can see, 40 minutes. It’s always a battle with Marie, and I feel very sorry for her with what happened because it was in the middle of the match.” She also shared her relief at returning to competition after her injury layoff, noting that while she still feels a way to go to reach her previous level, she appreciates every moment back on the court.
Both players show promising signs as they advance in the tournament, and Badosa’s recovery process highlights her resilience and determination. Fans will be eager to see how they perform in the upcoming rounds.