Phoenix 24
One relentless comeback delivers two defining victories.
Iași | July 2026
Paula Badosa reached the final of the Iași Open after completing an extraordinary comeback against Slovenia’s Tamara Zidanšek, a victory that also secured the Spanish player’s direct entry into the main draw of the US Open.
Badosa prevailed 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1) after two hours and 38 minutes of demanding clay-court tennis. The match repeatedly appeared to be moving away from her, but she resisted at the most critical moments and dominated the decisive tiebreak to extend her winning streak to nine consecutive matches.
The former world number two will face Egypt’s Mayar Sherif in Sunday’s championship match. Sherif, currently positioned inside the world’s top 100, advanced after defeating Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-3, 6-1 in the other semifinal.
For Badosa, the result represents more than a place in another final. Her recent run has lifted her projected ranking to approximately 102nd or 103rd in the world, placing her within the group of players expected to receive direct admission to the US Open.
The Grand Slam’s main-draw entry list generally includes the leading 104 eligible players at the ranking cutoff. Badosa’s progression in Iași has therefore removed the immediate threat of having to contest the qualifying tournament in New York.
That achievement carries considerable emotional and sporting importance after a season shaped by physical setbacks, ranking losses and uncertainty about her ability to compete regularly.
Badosa began the semifinal without the authority she had displayed during much of the tournament. Zidanšek controlled the opening exchanges, used the clay effectively and repeatedly forced the Spaniard into uncomfortable positions.
The Slovenian took the first set 6-3 and maintained pressure during the second. Badosa struggled to find consistency on serve, but she refused to allow the match to become defined by her errors.
Her recovery depended less on flawless tennis than on emotional resistance. She stayed engaged during long rallies, accepted difficult moments and continued searching for opportunities even when the match appeared to favor her opponent.
Badosa eventually captured the second set 7-5, extending the contest into a decisive third set filled with physical and psychological tension.
Zidanšek remained dangerous and had previously demonstrated her ability to trouble Badosa on clay. The Spaniard nevertheless survived the final set and forced a tiebreak, where the balance of the match changed completely.
Badosa played the breaker with clarity and aggression, conceding only one point. Her 7-1 performance provided a decisive ending to a contest that had remained uncertain for almost three hours.
After the match, she described herself as a fighter and emphasized the faith required to continue when the result appeared increasingly difficult. Her comments reflected the broader meaning of the victory after months in which injuries and disrupted preparation had threatened her position on the professional circuit.
The Iași final will be Badosa’s fifth at WTA Tour level and her first since winning the Washington title in 2024. She has won each of her previous four tour-level finals, a record that adds another element of interest to Sunday’s championship match.
Her earlier titles came in Belgrade, Indian Wells, Sydney and Washington. The Indian Wells triumph remains the most significant of her career, but the opportunity in Romania arrives during a very different professional chapter.
Badosa is no longer attempting to prove that she belongs among the world’s elite. She is rebuilding after physical difficulties that interrupted her momentum, reduced her ranking and repeatedly forced her to reconsider tournament schedules.
Her revival accelerated one week earlier when she won the WTA 125 event in Båstad without dropping a set. Rather than treating that title as an isolated result, she carried the confidence directly into Iași.
The transition was physically demanding. Competing in consecutive clay-court tournaments left little recovery time, and several of her matches in Romania required sustained concentration and considerable energy.
She opened the tournament with a convincing victory over Anhelina Kalinina before surviving a three-set battle against young Russian Alevtina Ibragimova. Badosa then defeated Panna Udvardy in the quarterfinals, the result that effectively placed her inside the US Open entry zone.
Her semifinal comeback completed both objectives that defined the week: reaching another championship match and recovering sufficient ranking ground to return directly to one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Direct qualification matters because the US Open qualifying competition would have imposed additional physical and emotional demands before the main event. By avoiding that stage, Badosa can plan her North American hard-court preparation with greater stability.
The achievement also carries symbolic value because Badosa was born in New York. Returning to the US Open without depending on a wildcard reinforces the sense that her recovery is being earned through results rather than reputation.
Sherif will present a different challenge in the final. The Egyptian is an experienced clay-court competitor whose consistency, physical strength and ability to extend rallies can test an opponent’s patience.
Badosa will need to recover quickly after the exhausting semifinal and manage the accumulated strain of nine matches across two consecutive weeks. Her physical response may become as decisive as her tactical preparation.
Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Iași has already altered the direction of her season. The tournament has restored ranking security, produced another final and confirmed that she can still navigate difficult matches without losing belief.
Badosa arrived in Romania fighting for access to New York. She will leave with that objective secured—and with another trophy within reach.
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