Paula Badosa achieved a career-high No. 2 ranking in April 2022. But by the end of 2023, a spinal stress fracture saw her fall out of the top 100. Most athletes never regain their commercial value after this, but the Paula Badosa brand comeback proved different.
She re-announced herself by winning WTA Comeback Player of the Year and reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal in 2025. However, she got injured again and admitted to suffering from mental strain that saw her drop out of the top 100 again — before she dragged herself into contention for the US Open within a few weeks..
The Fall: From World No. 2 To Outside The Top 100
Paula Badosa’s rise was organic and fast. Her first major title came after she defeated Victoria Azarenka to win her first WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells in 2021. She got to the quarterfinals of the French Open later that year, and by January 2022, she won another title at the Sydney Tennis Classic. By April 2022, she was ranked No. 2 in the world — her highest ever. She was poised to become one of the biggest stars in women’s tennis from that point onward.
Instead, 2023 left a bitter taste in her mouth as several injuries ruined her momentum. Badosa missed the Australian Open in January due to a thigh injury. In May, she suffered a spinal stress fracture while competing at the Italian Open and was forced to miss the French Open, where she had been a quarterfinalist in 2021. She made her comeback at Wimbledon but she retired midway through her second-round match. Soon after, she ended her season completely, announcing that the injuries she was suffering from wouldn’t allow her to compete.
The 2023 season ended with Badosa falling more than 60 places in the rankings to No. 64, a year after her career-high. For many athletes, this massive decline would’ve ended their commercial and public relevance but not hers.
The Comeback Nobody Expected — And The One After That
What followed after Badosa ended her season in 2023 wasn’t a simple path back to the top, but a difficult rebuild from scratch. She returned to the court in 2024 and despite missing the Wuhan Open due to gastroenteritis and speculations of racism and retiring mid-match at the Ningbo Open because of dizziness just a week later — which happened after she’d clawed her way back into the top 15—she ended the year on a positive note by winning her fourth career title in Washington, D.C., and finished No. 12 in the world. Her fall-off in 2023 and determination to get back on top in 2024 earned her the 2024 WTA Comeback Player of the Year award.
The 2025 season started the same way the 2024 season ended for Badosa. She reached the semifinal at the Australian Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. That outing was her best-ever result at any Grand Slam tournament, and it marked her return to the top 10 for the first time since October 2022.
However, her recurring back problems meant she could only feature in one more tournament that year, and she dropped 13 places to No. 25.
She faced yet another major setback in 2026. Badosa started the season to stay healthy and compete, unlike the previous year, but by spring, she found herself outside the top 100 once again. She missed direct entry into the 2026 French Open, and spoke publicly about her battles with fear, self-doubt, and her injury problems. She took a break from playing competitive tennis to reset.
Her latest comeback is still being written: a nine-match winning streak, a WTA 125 title in Båstad, and a run to the Iasi final in mid-July 2026 have taken her up to No. 93, and she’s one result away from claiming a direct spot at the US Open next month.
She’s had to make not one but two comebacks so far as she continues to deal with injuries, setbacks, and the pressure of failure while trying to get back to her peak.
The Endorsement Portfolio That Didn’t Disappear
What makes Badosa’s story unique to entrepreneurs is that her sponsors stayed with her through her dark days. Her sponsorship deals with Nike (apparel and footwear since 2019), Wilson (racquets); Iberdrola, a Spanish energy company where she is a brand ambassador, and Kérastase, a hair care brand, stayed through the 2023 slump, the 2024 comeback, and the injury woes in mid-2025 and 2026.
Building valuable relationships based on trust, loyalty, and shared goals matters more than a relationship built on performance-based endorsement.
Paula Badosa Sunaswim: Building A Brand Through Career Setbacks
Badosa established a business outside of tennis in March this year, while she was going through a rough patch in her professional career. Together with her younger sister, Jana, she launched a swimwear brand called Sunaswim. The full collection was released on the 5th of May, and promotions were carried out through regular campaign posts to her large social media following.
Badosa didn’t wait until she was fully recovered or until she had retired from competitive tennis before launching a brand of her own. She did it when she was sliding down the ranks and suffering from injuries and uncertainty.
What African Entrepreneurs Can Learn From This
Badosa’s Sunaswim highlights the value of having something profitable aside from a tennis career.
Choose partners who believe in you. Paula Badosa’s endorsement with Nike, Wilson, Iberdrola, and Kérastase stayed with her through her dark days. Pick partners that believe in you and your long-term value, not just what you have to offer presently.
Leverage the spotlight. Badosa started her athlete personal branding during her tough patch, not after retirement. The lesson to learn here is simple: if you have visibility use it.
Check out Paula Badosa discusses her swimwear line and comeback for her first-hand comments on launching her brand while overcoming injury. This video provides relevant context as Badosa directly discusses designing her swimsuit line and managing her career transition during her recovery.