THE MODERATOR: Paula, Comeback Player of the Year. How does it feel being given that title and how does that motivate you going into the next year?
PAULA BADOSA: It feels good, especially because when I was here last year, it was one of my goals to do that. Achieving it wasn't easy because there was a lot of good players coming back.
Yeah, starting the season in one way and finishing almost top 10 was a great year. I'm really looking forward to continue that good journey. Let's see what 2025 has for me.
THE MODERATOR: You started off this year also playing in Brisbane. You played doubles with Ons Jabeur. Is this a partnership we're going to see more often? How does Aryna Sabalenka feel about this?
PAULA BADOSA: Well, we just played doubles, decided to play doubles sometimes when we need some matches. I think it helps each other. With Ons, I have a great relationship. Also with Aryna if it happens also, but I think she doesn't need a lot of matches right now (smiling). She's good with that.
It's a partnership that maybe you can keep seeing. It's like we have singles on our mind always and it's our priority. To play doubles, it's always helpful especially to work other stuff.
So yeah, I played there in Brisbane. Unfortunately I couldn't play a lot of singles matches there. Wasn't a bad match either. But yeah, looking forward to play here as much as I can.
THE MODERATOR: What do you enjoy about Adelaide?
PAULA BADOSA: It's my fourth year in a row I think. Yeah, time flies. What I like from here also the conditions of this tournament, but also it's very convenient. It's very easy. Also I have to say I like to play here. The fans are great.
Coming back here, it's always special. It's a tournament I always enjoy.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. You had a fantastic run from Rome onwards last year. How important is momentum to you as a player?
PAULA BADOSA: It is really important. I think when you get that confidence, when things start to work out... I always felt that I'm a player that I work really hard, but there's some moments that maybe mentally, the momentum, it's not there, and you stop believing as much as you should in that moment.
I think in Rome, that's slowly what happened. I started to believe a little bit more that I was capable of coming back, I was capable of being one of the best players in the world. I think when that clicks on my mind, I start believing in myself. I think it's when I become one of the best players in the world.
Q. Are there any positives in terms of motivation that you can take from being injured badly?
PAULA BADOSA: Positives? I'm going to be very honest. Not really when you're injured, because it's tough. In my case, I love tennis, so maybe if it was another player, another situation, I could say maybe it was a little bit positive to step out and disconnect a bit because this is really intense.
In my case, I missed it so much. I was still following tennis as a fan also. I really wanted to come back. That's why I was very hungry to come back last year also.
If I have to say something positive, I think there was moments last year that I was valuing maybe more to be on a court, on a center court. I remember maybe playing and looking up and seeing, wow, these people are coming to see you, they enjoy seeing you. This is maybe something I wasn't valuing long time ago in my career before my injury.
Those small things, small details that I value them more after the injury. Maybe learning how to have a little bit more patience and waiting for my moment to come. I think maybe the injury taught me that.
Q. You have a bye in the first round.
PAULA BADOSA: No, I don't. I wish.
Q. Who are you playing first round?
PAULA BADOSA: Qualifier. I still don't know.
Q. Then you play Marta?
PAULA BADOSA: If I win, right.
Q. Is it difficult to not know who you're playing? Does it not matter?
PAULA BADOSA: Both sides. I mean, sometimes I prefer not to know and continue with my own things because I think it's really important the way that I play, the way that I am to focus on myself when I play matches.
Also I'm a person that I'm a very over-thinker. I love to analyze my opponents. I work with the statistics. I like sometimes not to know, but also I like to know. I think that's also the job of my team or my coach, that he's a little bit like the one that gives me the tips before the matches.
Q. (Question about looking at the draw.)
PAULA BADOSA: I never go to the finals, but I just look at it just in case. I just look at it. There's so many situations, I mean, on the draws, you see it every week, that so many matches unexpected winners, losers. Sometimes you look at it and it completely changes.
At the end it doesn't really matter.
Q. After you have a win, do you have a go-to song or anything you do in particular to celebrate?
PAULA BADOSA: Look, I have a go-to song, but that week. Like normally it's the song of the week, we say. It depends of the tournament. Of course, there are songs that now I think about them and they give me bad memories, some of them good ones.
When I win, I try to keep it all pretty easy. Of course, I have the song of the week, recovery, that's pretty much it.
Q. Do you have a song for this week?
PAULA BADOSA: I do have a song from this week. It's a Spanish song, so I don't think you will know it. Normally it's like Latin music.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports