Paula Badosa teases return to court while Tsitsidosa’s summer of love heats up

FLASHBACK: Badosa's Tsitsipas romance was evidently months in the making, and began with a dream the Spaniard had back in January.

On the court and off, Paula Badosa is soaking up all that summer has to offer.

The former world No. 2 shared a snap of herself in the heat of an intense practice on Instagram Wednesday, teasing a return to action after injury ruled her out of Roland Garros and forced her to retire at Wimbledon.

“Back to the sweat,” captioned Badosa, who has been suffering from a back injury since the spring.

The 2021 BNP Paribas Open champion had been rounding back into form after a lackluster 2022 season, reaching the quarterfinals at three of her four clay-court tournaments—including the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where she stunned No. 4 seed Ons Jabeur in three sets—only for physical issues to stunt her progress through the summer months, playing just one completed match since and forfeiting her second-round clash against Marta Kostyuk after losing the first set.

While her professional life has taken some hits, her (very public) private life has hit new heights alongside boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas, co-authoring a couples Instagram page that is on the verge of 100,000 followers.

Their latest entry shows “Tsitsidosa” in front of a fireworks display and a decidedly Tsitsipas-sounding caption.

“Love your life with intensity,” the post reads. “Express your adoration to your beloved. Engage warmly with strangers you meet. Embrace challenges that stir your soul. Remember, time passes swiftly, and our deeds may fade away. So, savor every moment spent with your beloved, weaving an extraordinary tale of love. Be present, and make every heartbeat count.”

Ranked No. 33 and in position to nab a seed at the 2023 US Open, Badosa looks to be gearing up to return in time for the North American hard-court tournaments, while Tsitsipas aims to shake off his own Wimbledon disappointment—a five-set defeat to Christopher Eubanks in the fourth round—with a summer surge of his own.