Paula Badosa: Sports and politics have nothing to do with each other

Paula Badosa has expressed her disappointment at the intermingling of politics and sports recently.

The war between Ukraine and Russia has had a big effect on the world, with tennis not immune to it. Russian and Belarusian players have faced difficulties since their countries joined hands to invade Ukraine.

While several Russian and Belarusian players faced difficulties in traveling to various countries, the Wimbledon Championships banned them from competing last year. While the decision has since been overturned, it left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

There has also been a constant war of words between players on various issues revolving around the same, from the types of flags and chants allowed at tournaments to the dress codes.

Former World No. 2 Badosa has opined that sports and politics do not go hand in hand and called for the two to be kept apart. She also stated that she prefers to focus her time and energy on her tennis.

"Absolutely, they shouldn't mix. Unfortunately, they have been involved, but I will never understand it. In the end, sports and politics have nothing to do with each other and it is a shame that there is so much mixing between players," she said in an interview with glamour.es.

"We are not inside either," she added. "We don't know what's out there, there are many opinions and we don't know 100% everything either, nor will we know. In my case I prefer to be apart and dedicate myself to mine. Politicians play politicians and athletes play athletes."

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“It's crazy” - Paula Badosa on WTA’s long calendar and dealing with jet lag

Paula Badosa is currently ranked World No. 42.

The WTA calendar in recent years has been a jam-packed one, with players barely getting breathers between tournaments. The gap between seasons has also reduced considerably.

For example, the WTA season last year began with tournaments in Adelaide and Melbourne in the first week of January and ended with the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow in November.

Badosa has stated that tennis is very intense, and while passion drives her to compete in tournaments across the world, it also takes a toll on her mentally.

"It's crazy. For me, the tennis circuit is one of the most intense there is. You start the year in January, in Australia, and you finish it in November, in Japan, having traveled through all the continents. It gets very intense," she said.

"The good thing is that I am doing what I like, which in the end is a passion," she added. "But it is still mentally very demanding. Yesterday I was landing here from the United States. Today I am in Madrid and the day after tomorrow I am in Germany."

The major downside of traveling between countries across various time zones to take part in events is jet lag, as it messes with a player's natural body clock. Badosa lamented the issue, saying that she felt like she was 'against the clock all the time'.

"Jet lag is hard, because in the end it's about rest. Sometimes you can't sleep or rest as well and then you have to give up. It's like being against the clock all the time. In the end, in three or four days you must adapt at lightning speed to be in a position to compete," the Spaniard opined.

Badosa was last seen in action at the 2023 Madrid Open, where she made a Round of 16 exit following a defeat to Maria Sakkari. She also took part in the doubles, where she reached the quarterfinal partnering Bethanie Mattek-Sands.