In the last couple of years, it might have been easy for the rest of the WTA field to somewhat dismiss Paula Badosa. She was suffering from a long-term back issue, and her form had dipped. She no longer made much inroads at events, if she could actually play in them.
That trend didn't change at the beginning of 2026, either. At one point, she lost five straight matches, and that didn't include her getting bounced out of Wimbledon in the first round. Since the grass-court major, however, Badosa has been playing brilliantly.
That continued in the second round of the Hamburg Open against third-seeded Panna Udvardy. Badosa, mind you, isn't seeded, though anyone watching the match who had no idea which player was seeded wouldn't have known that. The Spaniard was the class of the match beginning late in the first set.
Paula Badosa defeats Panna Udvardy in the second round of the Hamburg Open
After Badosa got a break midway through set one and appeared well on her way to taking an advantage, the Hungarian broke back. At 4-5, though, Udvardy was broken again by an opponent who was just beginning to reach the height of her powers.
In the second set, Badosa got a hold, and then another break, which was consolidated in the next game. With a 3-0 lead and a set up, the Spaniard appeared to have sealed the outcome. She was back to hitting with bombast, dictating how most points were being played, and simply overpowering her higher-ranked foe. Badosa won the second set 6-1.
Following Wimbledon and heading into the Hamburg Open, Badosa had won the Nordea Open and then reached the final of the Iasi Open before a stomach issue stymied her chance to win her second straight tournament. She retired in the second set against Mayar Sherif with the former WTA No. 2 down 0-4 in set two after dropping the opening set.
Still, that might be just a blip on her path back to being a top-20, if not top-10, player. July has been kind to her, something Panna Udvardy learned the hard way in Hamburg. The question ahead for Badosa is whether she can take success in smaller events and transpose that to making deep runs at the upcoming Masters 1000 tournaments and the US Open.
After beating Udvardy in round two, Paula Badosa will next face the player who just defeated her in the final of the Iasi Open, Mayar Sherif, in the quarterfinals. The winner of that match might be on their way to taking the title at the 2026 Hamburg Open.
