Paula Badosa defeated Simona Halep in their first round match at the 2024 Miami Open with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Halep, who had recently won an appeal to reduce her four-year suspension for anti-doping violations to nine months, received a wildcard entry into the tournament.
This was her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open.
However, despite a strong start where Halep won the first set 6-1 in just 38 minutes, she struggled to maintain her performance as the match progressed.
Badosa, who was more match-fit, was able to capitalize on Halep’s fatigue and eventually emerged victorious.
The defeat highlighted the challenges Halep faced after such a long break from high-intensity competition.
Her serve was a problem, with eight double faults, and she lost the second set 6-4 after being broken early by Badosa.
The fitness levels of the players became more evident in the third set, with the Romanian struggling to catch her breath after intense rallies.
She looked frustrated when losing her second service game to love, but managed to level the score at 2-2 with a great forehand shot.
However, Badosa gained confidence and broke again to lead 4-2.
She continued to dominate and broke once more in the final game to set up a match with world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
