New Concern for Badosa, Forced to Retire in Berlin

World No. 10 Paula Badosa had hoped to build momentum on grass ahead of Wimbledon. For her first grass-court tournament this year, the Spaniard—who missed nearly the entire clay season due to recurring back pain—had started strong at the WTA 500 event in Berlin.

After victories over Eva Lys (6-1, 6-3) and Emma Navarro (7-6, 6-3), the 27-year-old aimed to confirm her resurgence against Wang Xinyu. The Chinese player, ranked 49th and coming through qualifying (including a win over Ons Jabeur), has been in fine form this week, having already knocked out Daria Kasatkina and Coco Gauff in the main draw.

But the match was cut short when Badosa, visibly injured, retired after losing the first set. Wang Xinyu advances to the semifinals (6-1 ret.) where she will face either Amanda Anisimova or Liudmila Samsonova.

For Badosa, however, physical concerns persist. Before arriving in the German capital, the former world No. 2 had played just three small tournaments since March—in Miami, Strasbourg, and Roland Garros.

With Wimbledon set to begin in just over a week, this latest withdrawal could be another setback for Badosa, who reached the Round of 16 at the All England Club last year before falling to Donna Vekic.