A Spanish tennis player threw her racket into the stands: Was she penalized?
Paula Badosa couldn't hold back her emotions during her match at the tournament in Romania.
The Spanish tennis player found herself at the center of a scandal during the WTA 250 tournament in Iasi, Romania. After a failed rally, Badosa hurled her racket toward the stands, sparking a strong reaction from the crowd.
The Spaniard’s Outrageous Actions
In the semifinal match against Slovenian Tamara Zidanšek, the former world No. 2, overcome by emotion, hurled her racket toward the stands, nearly hitting spectators.
Despite the dangerous incident, the umpire did not disqualify the Spaniard, limiting himself to an official warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Wow, Badosa threw her racket yesterday and was almost disqualified…
Horrible miss and she threw her racket… Just missed the ball kids. Today she withdrew from the final…
pic.twitter.com/vZXOeHIJmb— SK (@Djoko_UTD) July 20, 2026
Criticism of the Lenient Punishment
The decision not to fine Badosa sparked a strong reaction within the tennis community. One of the most vocal critics was Renne Stubbs, Serena Williams’ former coach and a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion.
“It was an absolute disgrace. As a player, you know perfectly well: the moment the racket leaves your hand, whatever happens next is your personal responsibility. And it doesn’t matter whether it was an ‘accident’ or you ‘didn’t mean to.’ You were in control of the racket and let it go. If it flies into the stands, it should result in an immediate automatic disqualification. And that’s the only way to stop this kind of behavior on the court,” Stubbs said on her podcast.
According to current rules, if the racket had hit a fan, Badosa would have been automatically disqualified. However, since there was no contact, the umpire decided not to impose the most severe penalty. Despite the incident, the Spaniard defeated Zidanšek 3–6, 7–5, 7–6 (7–1) and advanced to the final.
She was unable to finish the decisive match against Egypt’s Mayar Sherif: after losing the first set and trailing 0–4 in the second set, Badosa withdrew due to feeling unwell. During that match, Badosa had been throwing her rackets and trying to break them, and after a disastrous start, she ultimately decided not to continue.
This was reported by Djoko_UTD.
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Argentina may face sanctions following its celebration of the victory over England.
