Last Updated on August 15, 2022
The 2021 season was an outstanding one for Paula Badosa, and the new year began on a high note for her with a win at the WTA 250 tournament in Sydney. The young Spanish tennis player, a native of New York, had some great results that put her in the top 10 of the WTA rankings
In talking about Paula Badosa, let’s get to know the people closest to her. The Spaniard is the daughter of Mireia Gibert and Josep Badosa. Both are in the fashion industry and have a clothing store in Begur, Girona.
Who are Paula Badosa’s parents?
The Spanish tennis player was born in Manhattan to Mireira Guibert and Josep Badosa.
Badosa came to tennis relatively late, after her family returned to Barcelona from New York. Her mother Mireira, who loved tennis, took her to the courts at the age of seven. Before considering a career as a pro, little Paula wanted to be a model, like both her parents. Now Badosa says she spent her childhood in bohemian circles and crossed paths with several celebrities, and even once attended a photoshoot with the Williams sisters (but didn’t know who they were because she wasn’t yet a tennis pro.
“I love fashion,” Badosa said over the summer. – I’ve always loved it. Mind you, my style is pretty simple and basic. I don’t like to play. My favorite designer is Armani. I was lucky to know him because my parents worked with him.
Besides the fashion industry, Josep Badosa and Mireira Guibert were also part of the art scene: in the 1990s, for example, they worked at the famous 111 First Street art center in Jersey City (across the Hudson from Manhattan), demolished in 2007 after a conflict with the developer. Josep, Mirela, and little Paula appear in the documentary 111 First Street.
Before turning professional, Badosa trained at different times in Barcelona and Valencia. She says she remembers almost nothing of her American childhood, but in her early years on the tour, she kept thinking about representing the United States. Until recently, Paula said that the US Open was her favorite tournament, because of the energy and vitality of her native New York. She also loves Paris, because she often goes there with her mother to “walk around and shop.”
Also Read:
A couple of seasons ago, Badosa said of her generation, “I was constantly nervous about the successes of Ostapenko, Kasatkina, Vondrousova. I saw that they were also getting the results that everyone expected from me, and it was hard.
But I was not prepared for the expectations that were hanging over me at 17. For some people that’s normal, for me it wasn’t. I had to be brave, and I did it. I had to be brave, and I did, and I’m proud of myself.”
“Everyone has a different process,” Badosa sums up, “and I focused on mine.
