Injured Spanish tennis star Badosa eyes return to Billy Jean King Cup

MADRID - Injured Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa is looking forward to returning to action in the Billy Jean King Cup, which begins in the Spanish city of Seville on Tuesday.

The most important tournament for teams in women's tennis sees Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Australia, Slovenia, Canada, France, Italy, the United States, Poland, Germany and Kazakhstan battle it out in the Estadio de la Cartuja.

The tournament gives 25-year-old Badosa a chance to end the season on a high note, as a back injury that saw her out of her second-round tie at Wimbledon and slip down to 56th in the world rankings after peaking at No. 2.

Badosa spoke about her recovery from injury at a press conference on Monday.

"I had to be patient, because she really wanted to play again," she said, admitting that time on the sidelines had helped her change her view on the sport.

"Looking at it from another perspective, now I believe that tennis is not everything in my life. I have been doing other things, and it is good to know yourself, so I have also enjoyed this time," she confessed.

Badosa said that playing the tournament in Spain was an "extra motivation" in her battle back to fitness, but insisted she had not rushed back for the event.

"It was simply the medical results: once I had good results, I started training and I felt good, without pain. I started to increase the loads, I saw that I had time, and I made the decision (to play)," she explained.

Finally, Badosa commented that the players all enjoy the novelty of playing as a team in what is usually an individual sport.

"I'm looking forward to it. I like to play in teams, and seeing my teammates with enthusiasm, training with intensity, motivates me. I learn from them and they help me a lot," she said.