Paula Badosa endured a grueling test of nerves at Flushing Meadows, describing her opening-round US Open victory over Daria Kasatkina as “another level of mental” after rain delays and missed match points extended the contest across two days in New York.
How Paula Badosa Survived a Two-Day US Open Marathon
The former world No. 2 from Spain seemed poised for a straightforward start to her campaign at the U.S. Open. Facing Kasatkina—who switched her sporting nationality from Russia to Australia last year—Badosa seized control early and built a commanding 6-1, 5-4 lead. Serving for the match, the Spaniard squandered her first two match opportunities. With the score at 6-1, 5-4 and deuce on Tuesday, heavy rain swept across the venue, forcing tournament officials to suspend play.
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Play resumed on Wednesday under completely different psychological conditions. Badosa continued to battle both her opponent and her own nerves, letting several more match points slip away while simultaneously having to save two crucial break points. Ultimately, she converted her ninth match opportunity with an ace, securing a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Paula Badosa was serving for the match at deuce when rain suspended play in New York 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/bAXenKRmjj
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) September 2, 2026
Coping With the Mental Toll in New York
Speaking to reporters after finally closing out the match, Badosa admitted that the overnight delay magnified the pressure of the situation. She noted that the intense anticipation made the encounter feel far longer than a standard straight-sets victory.
“That’s why I was super, super tense. We always say that tennis is mental, but this, I think, was another level of mental,” Badosa said after the win. She added that the suspension forced her to replay critical moments repeatedly during the break: “I played the match 50 times already in my head. So I felt like I played a five-set match.”
Quick Turnaround Ahead at Flushing Meadows
Open. Having spent two days completing her first-round assignment, she returns to the courts for a third day to play her second-round match.
Badosa’s next challenge comes against tournament local star and fourth seed Coco Gauff. The second-round matchup puts the tested Spanish competitor right back into the spotlight at Flushing Meadows, where she must quickly recover from her opening-round ordeal.
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