On blasting a superb swinging ace to close a triumph at Wimbledon on Thursday, Paula Badosa broke into a broad smile as she pumped her fist towards an applauding crowd.

But the Spaniard, who defeated Romanian Irina Bara 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour, was not finished with her crowd-pleasing deeds on No.2 Court at the All England Club.

The right-hander had spotted something in the stands and wanted to highlight the importance of the participation of fans.

At the end of an on-court interview discussing her surge up the rankings, her recovery from a recent injury and her delight at returning to Wimbledon, she turned to the crowd.

“I know I am seeing all the Spanish people. I see the Spanish flag over there. Muchas gracias," she said.

"It is a very special tournament. I think I played very aggressive and smart and I am very happy to be through to the third round.”

Her delight after the victory is understandable.

After a breakout season in 2021, in which Badosa claimed a title at Indian Wells and reached the semi-finals of the WTA Tour Finals, this season has been a fluctuating one.

In her second tournament of this year, she enjoyed a stylish success in Sydney and then reached the fourth round of the Australian Open.

The 24-year-old performed admirably in the American sunshine swing through Indian Wells, making the semi-finals in her title defence, and Miami, where she reached the quarter-finals.

She peaked at a ranking of world No.2 in April but the clay court season proved less promising than she had hoped given her excellence on the surface.

A quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros in 2021, her best effort was a semi-final in Stuttgart.

Misfortune struck when returning to Paris this year, with a calf injury forcing her to retire mid-match in a third round clash against Veronika Kurdermetova.

As a result, her preparation for Wimbledon was far from perfect. In the sole match that she contested at Eastbourne, Badosa was stunned by Jodie Burrage, an English wild card ranked No.169.

But players often speak about how much of a boost it is to return to events where they have performed well in the past. On arriving back at Wimbledon, Badosa felt at home.

She loved competing at the All England Club last year, reaching the fourth round where she was narrowly beaten by Czech quarter-finalist Karolina Muchova.

Having recovered from the recent injury setback, Badosa was confident she would perform well again. She has actually been far better than that in two dominant victories.

After defeating Louisa Chirico 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, the Spaniard was in control for much of the match against Bara, the world No.122.

Badosa, with her blonde ponytail positioned over the top of her white visor, broke Bara in the fourth game of the match to establish an early buffer.

Bara, 27, has an unconventional backhand slice, with her left hand dropping away from the handle just as she is making contact in an exaggerated movement.

In an effort to unsettle the rhythm of her taller rival, she deployed the shot semi-regularly and there were occasions where Badosa erred by overhitting.

But those instances were rare. More often the Spaniard would either clip a crisp winner or establish herself in a dominant position at the net to put away the next ball. 

Her groundstrokes overwhelmed her opponent, jumping with venom to shoulder-height for Bara given the amount of topspin she generated.

Her touch, too, was sublime, such as a beautiful backhand drop shot that arched away from her rival in the air in the sixth game of the second set.

“I never stopped dreaming and that is what made me get to world No.2 as well. Now I am No.4. It is very special to be here in this position,” she said.

“Every match gives you confidence. I played really good matches last year and I felt good when I arrived here this year. I think I am playing very well.”

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