5 days ago
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Tennis stars Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas' long-rumoured split has been confirmed by the couple, as the former celebrated her 28th birthday in Dubai.
Tsitsipas and Badosa captured the hearts of the tennis world when they went public together in 2023 and were dubbed 'Tsitsidosa' as they shared their affection in a series of heart-warming social media snaps together.
In May last year they broke up 'amicably' but within three weeks they were back together and piquing the interest of fans again.
The couple were rumoured to have split once again in July, with reports surfacing after the pair both crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round.
The reports came after the pair had unfollowed each other on Instagram, with Badosa and Tsitsipas also removing photos and videos together from their respective social media accounts.
Badosa confirmed the split with her latest posts on social media, with the Spanish star holding up a sash with the words 'Sexy and single' as she celebrated her 28th birthday with friends.
Paula Badosa confirmed her split from Stefanos Tsitsipas by raising a sash reading 'sexy and single' as she celebrated her 28th birthday
Rumours of a split between Badosa and Tsitsipas, pictured in April, emerged during Wimbledon
The Spanish star celebrated her 28th birthday in Dubai as she took time out from her training
'Chapter 28, here we go. Heart full…Thank you to the ones who made it so special. Love you,' Badosa wrote on social media.
The tennis shared shared photos of her with a birthday cake reading 'older, wiser and still hotter than ever', along with another sash that stated '28 and still a 10'.
Badosa's friends were seen wearing party hats featuring her image and a tennis ball, while the Spaniard was also pictured poolside toasting the occasion.
The former world No 2 has been recuperating in Dubai after ending her season in September, amid continued struggles with a long-term back problem.
Badosa recently shared a message on social message amid her injury struggles, as she targets a return to the tennis circuit in 2026.
'Sometimes life shakes us so hard that we think we won't be able to get up. We go through moments when the soul breaks in silence, where doubts weigh more than hope, and where the inner noise lets nothing be heard. But it's right there, in that void, where something sacred begins: the reunion with oneself,' Badosa wrote.
'Healing isn't forgetting or pretending it didn't hurt. Healing is looking at yourself with compassion, recognizing your wounds and understanding that everything you experienced was a necessary part of the journey.
'It is discovering that peace is not in what you have, or in who accompanies you, but in the simple fact of being able to breathe calmly with yourself.
The former world No 2 shared photos on social media of her birthday celebrations
The Spanish tennis star Badosa was joined by her friends in Dubai to mark the occasion
Badosa posed with a cake which included the the message 'older, wiser and hotter than ever'
Badosa posed alongside baloons while wearing another sash reading '28 and still at 10'
'There comes a time when you understand you don't need anything external to feel complete.
'That serenity is born when you stop looking outside what was always inside. And that's when everything changes: what used to hurt, now teaches; what used to weigh, now drives.
'Because when you heal, you not only free yourself from the past, you reconcile with life.'
In recent weeks Badosa has shared training photos from Dubai as she steps up her recovery, while she also partied with her best friend and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Tsitsipas, who endured a nightmare season amid battles with injury, also confirmed his split with Badosa after being stopped by Greek media for an interview in an airport last week.
'If I had a sister and wanted to introduce her to you, what should I tell her, that Stefanos is single, or that no one knows,' Tsitsipas was asked.
Tsitsipas responded: 'At the moment I'm single, so I don't know what you're talking about. Thank you very much.'
Insiders had told Spanish magazine ¡Hola! of their heartbreak at the split back in July, amid reports the couple's separation had been 'peaceful but they had been 'shattered' by the demands of their high-powered careers, including injuries.
Greek star Tsitsipas had also confirmed his split from Badosa in a recent interview
Tsitsipas and Badosa, known as 'Tsitsidosa', went public together back in 2023
The tennis power couple had briefly split last year, before reuniting just three weeks later
Rumours of their split had emerged after they were both knocked out in the first round at Wimbledon
'[They] were going through a rough patch professionally, with injuries, and that affected their relationship,' a source told the outlet.
'They're not well, of course. It's normal for any couple that breaks up. They had started the year very well, and their dream has been shattered.
'It's a healthy breakup and there were no third parties or family influences, as is starting to be said.
'[They] have struggled to make their relationship work, but ultimately it hasn't worked out. Ghosts from the past have returned, marked by the injuries they have both suffered.
'[The split is] between adults who loved each other very much, and it was a mature decision.'
Tsitsipas and Badosa had previously been open about their plans for marriage after getting back together in May 2024.
They had planned to play in the revamped mixed doubles event at the US Open, but Tsitsipas withdrew from the event with Badosa then due to team up with Jack Draper.
Badosa then withdrew from the competition due to injury.
