Expectations have had a shaping influence on the career of Paula Badosa. Great things were predicted for the Spaniard when she won the junior title at Roland Garros in 2015, but she struggled to live up to her inevitable billing as the next Garbiñe Muguruza and has been frank about the depression she suffered as a result.
Every player has their own path, however, and six years on – and after much toil – Badosa, now 23, has acquired the conviction of a champion. Facing Victoria Azarenka in the final of Indian Wells, she needed every ounce of that self-belief and work ethic to survive an extraordinary comeback from the indefatigable former world No 1, but survive she did, prevailing 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 7-6 (7-2) to win the biggest match of her career.
The victory cements a breakthrough season for the New York-born Spaniard, who won her first WTA title in Belgrade in May, and subsequently reached the quarter-finals at both the French Open and the Olympics. She will now rise to a career-high 13th in the rankings, her prospects of winning a place at the season-ending WTA Tour finals in Guadalajara significantly improved.
“It was a really tough match,” said Badosa, who also beat grand slam champions Barbora Krejcikova and Angelique Kerber en route to the final. “I think it was like a rollercoaster mentally, emotionally. It was my first final in a [WTA] 1000. I had a lot of emotions. I was playing Vika. She’s a great champion. I admire her since I was a little girl, so that’s another thing.
“It was amazing. I’m still a little bit in shock that what happened right now. But in that moment, I was super excited and super proud of what I did, after three hours fighting on court.”
At three hours and four minutes, it was the longest women’s final this year. It was also quite possibly the finest. The opening set, an epic tussle spanning an hour and 18 minutes, was a classic in its own right, a carousel of ferocious, gruelling baseline exchanges. It began with Badosa fending off three break points to win a nine-minute service game, continued with Azarenka saving three of her own in the next game, and culminated in a tiebreak after the players had shared two breaks each – and a combined total of 15 break points. There was, quite literally, nothing between the two women, who won 55 points each, Badosa finally squeaking home by the narrowest of margins with a searing crosscourt backhand winner.
“I would agree with comparing it to the match of the year,” said Azarenka, who was left to rue the loss of the opening set after recovering from 4-3 and 6-5 down. “I think the entire match, the quality of tennis was [at a] super-high level. We were both going for our shots, really pushing each other to the max.
“I think that’s what made it super entertaining, that competitive spirit, really fighting for every ball, not giving in anywhere. It’s very challenging to maintain that.”
Many would have folded after falling behind; Azarenka simply greeted it as a spur to further effort. Badosa spoke warmly afterwards of how the Belarusian had inspired her as a rising teenager. If she wondered back then what it would take to become a member of the game’s elite, she knows beyond doubt now. Azarenka, twice a champion in Indian Wells, was magnificent, exuding positive energy and levelling the match almost through sheer force of will. After a break in the ninth game of the decider, she stood two points from victory only to be undone by errors. Badosa seized the reprieve with both hands.
“I knew that for any player in the world, even a champion, it’s very tough to close the match. I knew I had to stay there as much as I can, keep fighting. I tried to fight for every point in the 5-4 game. I think I played very good from 5-5 to 7-6.”