Paula Badosa, the ninth seed at the Mutua Madrid Open, has announced her withdrawal from the tournament`s second round on Friday, citing a persistent lower back injury as the reason.

Her position in the main draw will now be occupied by fellow Spanish player Cristina Bucsa, who enters the event as a lucky loser. Bucsa is scheduled to compete against Veronika Kudermetova.

This withdrawal was not entirely unexpected, as Badosa had previously indicated before the tournament began that she was not operating at 100 percent fitness. During her media appearances, the state of her back—an injury that has affected her for nearly two years—was a recurring topic of inquiry.

Describing her condition, Badosa stated that her back was “slowly getting better,” but she characterized it as a “tough injury.” She explained that it differed from previous issues, involving nerves and causing constant pain, which severely impacted her daily life to the extent that she “couldn’t even move from the couch.”

Three years ago, Badosa reached her career-high ranking of World No. 2. However, a back injury forced her to miss the final five months of the 2023 season. The article notes a period in 2024 where her form showed signs of recovery, highlighting results such as winning the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open, reaching semifinals in Cincinnati and Beijing, and a quarterfinal at the US Open. (Note: This paragraph reflects information as presented in the original text, which may not align with all documented career results).

Despite these moments, including finishing the season near the Top 10 and making the semifinals at this year`s Australian Open, the subsequent period has proved challenging. Her difficulties have included retiring from a match in Merida, Mexico, skipping Indian Wells, and giving a walkover in the Round of 16 in Miami, all attributed to her back problem.

Badosa revealed that even in recent weeks, she experienced intense pain while simply resting. Fortunately, she mentioned that “the treatment, the injections that I had to do a few have worked,” contributing to her feeling that she is “slowly getting back there.”

When questioned about her current physical readiness, she candidly replied, “I don’t know,” when asked if she was at 50 or 75 percent fitness. She expressed hope for future improvement, stating, “Slowly, step by step, every day I’m feeling a bit better. Hopefully I will be my 100 percent soon. Not right now, but soon.”