Paula Badosa retired from her opening-match appearance against Elena Pridankina at the WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, after dropping the first set 7-5. The Spanish player required medical attention on court while visibly distressed before abandoning the match.
Early Exit in Hong Kong Caps a Difficult Season for Badosa
The 28-year-old Spaniard entered the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open looking to build momentum following a quarterfinal run at the Guangzhou Open. Instead, her final tournament of 2026 ended in the opening round. Badosa surrendered a commanding 4-1 lead and a 40-15 advantage in the opening set before world No. 206 Elena Pridankina mounted a comeback to take the frame 7-5 in just over an hour.
Following the conclusion of the first set, tournament medical staff rushed to the court. Badosa received treatment for physical discomfort while trainers checked her blood pressure and vital signs. Tearful and visibly exhausted, the former world No. 2 chose not to continue, marking the 38th mid-match retirement of her professional career and her 20th at the WTA level.
Paula Badosa retired after losing first set 5-7 vs Elena Pridankina. Had physio checking her blood pressure and vitals while crying. Didn’t continue pic.twitter.com/LV1rUAPgiA
Physical Toll and Statistical Reality of 2026
Tuesday’s abandonment brought a sobering close to a turbulent campaign for the Catalan competitor. Badosa finished 2026 with a 21-22 main-draw WTA match record, representing the first time since 2012—when she played only two professional matches at age 15—that she has closed a season with more losses than victories.
While she added eight wins and a WTA 125 title in Bastad during July, injuries and physical struggles severely disrupted her year. A mid-season slump briefly pushed her outside the top 140 in the rankings. Although she recovered ground to finish the year ranked 56th globally, her recent weeks in Asia highlighted ongoing physical strain. Badosa had already required medical attention during two separate matches in Guangzhou the previous week before falling to Harriet Dart in the quarterfinals.
Badosa Searches for New Coach Before Preseason
Badosa will head into the 2027 preseason facing a period of transition off the court as well. She arrived in Hong Kong without a permanent coach after announcing the end of her four-year professional partnership with Pol Toledo, citing a lack of professional alignment as a factor in the split.
In Hong Kong, she was supported courtside by her mother, her sister, and team members Carlos Silvestre and Claudia Taberner. Finishing the season as the second-highest ranked Spanish singles player behind 43rd-ranked Cristina Bucsa, Badosa now turns her attention toward recovery and restructuring her technical team ahead of the 2027 tour.
Selekhmeteva Advances at the Chennai Open
While the tour concluded on a somber note for Badosa in East Asia, Oksana Selekhmeteva experienced contrasting fortunes in India. Selekhmeteva launched her campaign at the WTA 250 tournament in Chennai with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Teodora Kostovic.
The win marked Selekhmeteva’s first victory at a WTA tournament since the opening round of the US Open in late August. Having slipped from inside the top 100 down to No. 122 while primarily contesting WTA 125 events over the autumn, the victory secures her a clash against Polina Kudermetova with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
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