Paula Badosa will finish the 2026 tennis season without a permanent head coach for the first time in almost four years after ending her professional relationship with Pol Toledo.
The 28-year-old Spaniard has decided to make a significant change to her coaching team ahead of her final three tournaments of the year, with Carlos Silvestre assuming a more prominent role following Toledo’s departure.
According to Eurosport, Silvestre, who has been working as Badosa’s hitting partner since the clay-court season, will accompany her throughout the remaining Asian tournaments. However, the former world No. 2 has not appointed a permanent replacement for the 2027 season.
Toledo announced the end of their partnership on Tuesday, bringing their nearly four-year collaboration to a close.
The two began working together in April 2023, although their relationship extends back to childhood. Toledo became an important member of Badosa’s team during a challenging period marked by injuries, recoveries and attempts to return to the highest level of women’s tennis.
During their time together, Badosa won the 2024 Washington Open, reached the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open and returned to the top 10 of the WTA rankings.
Her Australian Open performance represented a significant milestone, marking the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career.
The partnership also produced another title in July 2026, when Badosa won the WTA 125 tournament in Bastad, Sweden.
Toledo acknowledged those achievements in his farewell statement, emphasizing the work required to overcome injuries and rebuild Badosa’s confidence during difficult moments.
He also thanked the player and the rest of her team for their commitment throughout their time together.
The coaching change follows another complicated season for Badosa, whose physical problems have continued to affect her ability to compete consistently.
The Spaniard entered 2026 attempting to regain her best form after injuries disrupted her previous campaign.
However, further setbacks made it difficult to establish momentum, contributing to a decline in the rankings that saw her fall outside the world’s top 100.
Badosa also took a break from competition to address her mental well-being after acknowledging that repeated physical difficulties had affected her confidence.
Despite those challenges, she gradually improved her results during the summer, including her Bastad title and appearances in the latter stages of other tournaments.
Her efforts helped her recover ranking positions, and she currently sits at No. 58 in the WTA standings.
The decision to part ways with Toledo came after Badosa’s participation in the China Open in Beijing.
She defeated Daria Kasatkina in a demanding opening match before losing 7-6, 7-5 to Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.
Following those physically demanding encounters, Badosa withdrew from the doubles competition, where she had partnered Maria Sakkari, and subsequently skipped the Wuhan tournament to recover.
She has since returned to Dubai, where she resides, to prepare for the final stretch of the season.
Silvestre will take on additional responsibilities during that period.
Although he has primarily served as her hitting partner, he has already assisted with training sessions and occasionally stepped in when Toledo was unavailable.
Badosa is also expected to receive support from Claudia Taverner, a former tennis player and longtime friend who helps manage her finances.
The Spaniard currently has three tournaments remaining on her 2026 schedule.
She is entered in the Osaka tournament in Japan from October 19-25, followed by Guangzhou in China from October 26 to November 1.
Her final scheduled appearance will be in Hong Kong, where the tournament runs from November 2-8.
Those events will provide Badosa with additional opportunities to collect ranking points before the offseason.
They will also represent her first tournaments without Toledo as her permanent coach since their partnership began in 2023.
The situation surrounding her coaching arrangements for 2027 remains unresolved.
Badosa is reportedly considering candidates for the position, but no permanent appointment has been announced.
Silvestre’s involvement during the remaining tournaments does not necessarily mean he will assume the head coaching position next season.
For the moment, his responsibility will be to help Badosa prepare for competition and maintain continuity within her training program.
The Spaniard faces an important period in her career as she attempts to rediscover the consistency that once carried her to No. 2 in the world rankings.
Her immediate challenge is to finish 2026 strongly in Osaka, Guangzhou and Hong Kong while preparing for another significant change to her coaching team.
