Paula Badosa names five-time Grand Slam winner as one retired player she would want to face

Spain’s Paula Badosa has named one retired player she would want to face. The 27-year-old recently played in the Miami Open but was forced to withdraw before the round of 16 clash against Alexandra Eala because of a back problem. She had a Q&A session on her official account on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.

During that, a user asked her which retired player she would like to face. “Which retired player would you have liked to face?,” asked user @btg_tornos. In response to that, Badosa was quick to name the former world number one. “Maria Sharapova,” she responded.

The 37-year-old had a fabulous career at the highest level that surprisingly ended in 2020 when she was just 32. In her illustrious career, she won five major titles. Despite winning five Grand Slams, Sharapova managed to complete the Career Grand Slam by winning a major on every court.

Her first major title was Wimbledon in 2004, where she defeated the former world number one Serena Williams in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-4. Two years later, in 2006, Sharapova won her second Grand Slam title as she won the US Open after beating the former world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4.

It took her another two years to lift her third major title as she won the Australian Open in 2008 after beating another former world number one, Ana Ivanovic, in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-3. In 2012, Sharapova completed her Career Grand Slam by winning the French Open. She defeated Italy’s Sara Errani in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2. Sharapova’s last major title was also at Roland Garros, where she defeated former world number one Simona Halep in the final with a score of 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–4.