Defending champion Paula Badosa has withdrawn from next week’s Mubadala Citi DC Open with a lower back injury.
Writing on X, the world No. 10 clarified that she’s currently struggling with a psoas tear, and will be out of action for “a few weeks.”
“I’m going through a really tough time,” the world No. 10 wrote. “Sometimes everything feels like a tunnel with no way out … but if I’ve always proven one thing, it’s that I never stop fighting.”
In a follow-up post, she added, “I want to sincerely thank all the people who are sending me their support, love, and energy during these difficult days. That encouragement sustains me and gives me the strength to keep going, even when everything seems uphill. Thank you for being there.”
Hola a todos,
Debido a una rotura del psoas voy a tener que estar fuera de competición unas semanas.
Estoy pasando por momentos realmente duros. A veces todo se siente como un túnel sin salida… pero si algo he demostrado siempre, es que nunca dejo de luchar.— Paula Badosa (@paulabadosa) July 14, 2025
In her absence, Queen’s Club champion Tatjana Maria has moved into the main draw.
Badosa’s withdrawal comes on the heels of a disappointing showing at Wimbledon, where she was upset by Britain’s Katie Boulter in the first round at the All England Club.
This has become an unfortunate trend for the former world No. 2, whose chronic back injury forced her to pull out of Madrid and Miami mid-tournament earlier this year. She was also forced to withdraw from Indian Wells.
The hope is that the 27-year-old Spaniard will be in form for the upcoming US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals a year ago. She’s also committed to partnering with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the revamped US Open Mixed Doubles Championship at Flushing Meadows, which is scheduled for August 19th and 20th.
Despite Badosa’s withdrawal, the 500-level event in D.C. — main-draw play kicks off on Monday, July 21 — remains loaded with top talent. World No. 4 Jessica Pegula tops the field, and she’ll be joined by world No. 11 Emma Navarro, world No. 6 Zheng Qinwen, and former Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu, Elena Rybakina, and Sofia Kenin. Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, 45, is also making her highly-anticipated return to action after accepting a main-draw wild card.