And 194 days later, Paula Badosa won

The tingling is far from new, but it resisted, it made itself beg too much. It had been 194 days since the last victory. "And unfortunately," Paula Badosa told reporters after beating American Taylor Townsend 6-1, 6-3 in 58 minutes, "winning is the best feeling in the world. And I say unfortunately because as I often repeat, you also have to enjoy the process."

The latter hasn't been very kind to her lately. Hampered by a back injury since mid-May, the 26-year-old Catalan had achieved her last notch at Wimbledon, on July 5. Before and after, pain and immobility. Anguish. "I've spent the last seven months on the couch," she said on her arrival in Melbourne, which sees her smiling again on this bearable Monday because everything goes smoothly. The good feelings she brought from training are reflected and the American's resistance breaks quickly, so that the Spaniard advances one square and on Wednesday she will have another opportunity to strengthen her tennis against Anastasia Palyuchenkova (double 6-4 against Dona Vekic).

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Paula Badosa, facing her circumstance

"It's my first win of the season, but especially for me it's my first win after I don't know how many months, six or seven, and after struggling with the disease [fracture of the L4 vertebra] that we all know, so for me it's very special to win again," he said. "I think it's been very difficult, she's been playing well, especially last week, and I was expecting a different, very aggressive match. You never know what to expect from her, so I'm really happy that I played pretty well and was very consistent. The truth is that I feel very, very good after so many months," continues the tennis player, currently ranked 100th.

Not even the sound from the bar that the organization has installed this year on Court 6 of the venue has distracted him. "I tried to block out the noise, because you could hear everything; I think I've handled it quite well...", she adds happily, more than satisfied because in this debut she had to play well (goal accomplished), win if possible (too) and not delay her stay on the court (full). "Every day I'm a little better, I'm adapting to the level I have to reach. I prefer very fast matches now, because it took me a long time to get my fitness back after the last one [in Adelaide, where he reappeared after his long absence]. I think I can do well, but I depend on the physique. It's normal. If in one or two months I can string together games, I'll be fine," he concludes in the conference room.

Osaka, return without a prize

Previously, Spanish tennis has celebrated the advances of Rebeka Masarova (6-3, 6-4 to Aliaksandra Sasnovich) and Alejandro Davidovich (6-4, 6-4 and 7-6(5) to Lestienne), but has also regretted the departures of Roberto Carballés (6-3, 6-2, 3-6 and 6-4 in favor of Hugo Gaston) and Roberto Bautista (6-2, 7-6 (2) and 7-5). "Since I wasn't seeded after many years [he was an eighth-finalist in the last edition], I didn't have a good draw," said the latter, who broke his fibula in September riding a horse and has not been able to take flight since. "It's a challenge I have for this year, it's a situation that motivates me. Something that's new to me and it's not going to be easy," he says.

Osaka, during the match against Garcia.JOEL CARRETT (EFE)

The news of the day, in any case, was the return of Naomi Osaka. The 26-year-old Japanese had not competed for 15 months and on her return, after having become a mother for the first time, she collided with a whole bone, the French Caroline Garcia (6-4, 7-6(2). Logically, the four-time major winner and former number one suffers from a lack of rhythm. "I think it was a really good match, I did the best I could. I feel like I couldn't have done anything else under these circumstances. When I was in L.A. [working out during the preseason] I thought I wasn't going to be able to hold up with any of the girls I've played against, so I'm positive; I'm capable of playing and also of challenging them," says the 2019 and 2021 champion, who in this stint in Australia – she played the preparatory in Adelaide before – has one win and two defeats. Mileage, which after all is what I was looking for.

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