Spanish tennis champion Paula Badosa is sharing some inspirational words with her one million social media followers. Badosa, 26, posted a picture of herself wearing black shorts and a white Nike tank top, posing against equipment at the gym. “Every day, every hour turn the pain into power,” she captioned the post. “Keep training and get ready for the clay season 🎾,” a fan commented. Badosa works hard to be counted amongst the best players in the world—here’s how she does it.
Badosa works out not just for looks, but for health and strength. “I think that feeling good about your physique is important for self-esteem and confidence, but, above all, it is a question of health,” she told Hola!. “We athletes are very aware of how important it is to take care of our body because it is also our work tool. That’s why we are always surrounded by the best professionals in sports medicine and physiotherapy.”
Badosa tries to focus on her mental as well as physical wellness. “That is the challenge of tennis, because it is very, very mental, all the time playing with your mind,” she told the New York Times. “If the head is not ready when the body is, the pressure and the anxiety and depression are going to come. It’s just a very tough sport.”
Badosa tries to maintain a balanced lifestyle without going to extremes. She also meditates every day. “Be kind to yourself and find a routine that is sustainable,” she told Hola!. “It is better to do 80% of the things right and find a way to integrate them into your routine so that you stay true to it, than to try to be perfect for two weeks and fail. It’s not crazy: I do guided meditation every morning for 15-20 minutes.”
Badosa says she owes a great deal of her success to her fantastic team. “The key is to have a good team by your side and to be surrounded by good people,” she told Credit One Charleston Open. “Alone it’s impossible. Of course, you’re the one playing and you’re playing alone, but without the team by your side, it’s very difficult to handle these things on your own. In my case, I have a very good team. They support me no matter what.”
Like all professional athletes, Badosa’s commitment to her training is non-negotiable. “There is a certain level of discipline and commitment to taking care of yourself inside and out,” she told Hola!. “Eating the right foods, making sure you don’t skip workouts… these are things that make you proud of yourself and give you the confidence you need.”