Miami Open: Sabalenka downs her friend Badosa in painful circumstances

Aryna Sabalenka beat Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3 on Friday night. She’ll play Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, the No 32 seed, in the next round

Sabalenka – Badosa, Miami 2024 | © Tennis TV

Tennis Majors

March 22, 2024

Miami Open presented by Itau •Second round • completed

See draw

P. BadosavsA. Sabalenka

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Spaniard Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the third round of the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium on Friday.

The Belarusian had been given an extra day before playing her first match, having decided to play despite the sudden and tragic death of her ex-boyfriend earlier in the week.

The Australian Open champion showed immense mental fortitude to get through what must have been an emotional occasion but she also played well in difficult conditions, saving the only break point she faced.

Badosa : “Both of us are pretty strong mentally”

The two women, good friends on and off the court, shared a warm embrace after the match. “It wasn’t very comfortable to play my best friend in this situation,” Badosa said. “Honestly, both of us are pretty strong mentally. We’re strong woman. She proved it. I proved it. We knew how to disconnect in that two hours, one hours and a half of match.

“She played really well. I played really well for where I’m coming from. I think it was quite decent. That all comes from because we know we’ve been through a lot in our lives, we’re strong women and we know how to separate that in that moment.

“I knew she was going to play very well or like normal. I told her I wish her the best. Let’s see if she can go very deep in this tournament.”

Black outfit

Badosa denied that the colour of their outfit, black, was a reference to the context. “It was a coincidence. Nike’s outfit.”

Sabalenka will face Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, the No 32 seed, next. Badosa, ranked No 80, won against Romanian wildcard Simona Halep (1-6, 6-4, 6-3) in the previous round of the Miami tournament, rating this Miami trip “a win for (her)”.

“Three weeks ago I didn’t know I could be able to play here,” Badosa said. “I was in my country struggling, didn’t know what to do with my back with a lot of pain. I’ve been playing for the first time after almost a year eight days in a row. I’m very happy about that because I wasn’t able to play Indian Wells. I started to train there. I’m really happy that I’m being able to get back to it and to play high-level matches.”

She wants to play “as much as possible” during the clay season, starting at Charleston.

Miami WTA 1000, other second-round results (Hard Rock Stadium, hard, USD 8.770.480, most recent results first):