The Spanish player—who sports her signature long dangling earrings in matches—has unveiled Aces, a jewelry collection of her own design.
Paula Badosa, the French Open’s 10th seed in the women’s competition, displayed her skills off the court by unveiling a collection of fine jewelry.
Known as Aces, the collection was created in partnership with the 1916 Company, a luxury watch and jewelry dealer based in Philadelphia.
Despite Badosa’s third-round loss to Daria Kasatkina, the Spanish player still sparkled on the court wearing earrings and necklaces from Aces, which kicked off with three lines primarily in 18-karat white and yellow gold with diamonds. Vida, Aura and Alma each represent a different phase in her personal journey, with prices ranging from $700 to $6,000.
Focused on delicate sunburst motifs and radiant diamonds, Vida and Aura take inspiration from the sun, which Badosa feels a deep connection with, particularly given her Mediterranean roots. Currently, she lives in Dubai, another sunny climate.
The Alma line, which she designed with her father, offers a tribute to Badosa’s childhood inspirations with detachable diamond chains and tennis racquet motifs, symbolizing her passion for the sport.
We spoke with Badosa shortly after her exit from the French tournament about her foray into jewelry, her sunny outlook and what makes a favorite home.
Mansion Global: What is the origin story of Aces?
Paula Badosa: It is a little emotional for me because I have a very deep connection with jewelry, especially with my grandma, who had a jewelry store. When I was about 19 years old, after playing tennis, I would help her in the store, and I loved it. Since then, I have played tennis with special long earrings, and that was an identity for me.
A few years ago, I thought, why can’t I do my own earrings, my own designs? Because there is a big connection with my grandma, I wanted this to be a family legacy. They were always connected to jewelry and fashion.
How did the partnership with the 1916 Company come together?
They approached me when I was playing in the U.S. Open, and there was an immediate connection. They could bring to life what I was expressing to them, and they made everything super easy. They were open to my designs, and they also made suggestions for other styles, which I loved. I was very deeply involved in the process since the very beginning. It was very important to me to reflect my own style and values.
Which pieces are your own concepts?
The Alma collection with the long earrings and the racquets is something I have loved since I was a little girl. It’s something I always play with, but then we also wanted to do something else. It all had to be very light and comfortable so you can wear it both on and off the court. The sun is also something that I identify with a lot—for resilience, new beginnings, growth. So, I loved the idea of having the sun in the jewelry.
How do you see the collection evolving?
I’m already thinking about launching new things and maybe changing some things. Maybe we’ll make a bit more for off court, for events. I would also love to add more bracelets and rings.
Tell me about your favorite home—what is it like?
I’m designing one in Dubai right now that is going to be finished by the end of the year. I think it’s going to be my favorite home by far, because it’s my style—very warm with natural colors, very relaxed. I like to work a lot with wood, stone and warm organic colors—beiges, browns. It’s a mix of minimalist Asian style, but at the same time, I added a bit of Mediterranean as I’m Spanish, and I never want to forget my culture. It makes me feel so comfortable when I go there, and I feel a lot of peace. With the lifestyle I have during the year and traveling so much, having a home that is cozy for me is very important.
After your loss at the French Open, you posted that you learned a lot about yourself, what did you learn?
Tennis has built me so much as a person. The past few years with the back injury have been very tough for me having to accept moments that are not under my control. This year started very good, but unfortunately, an injury stops you, and that’s never easy. It’s a journey and it’s a process, but it makes me much stronger than the person I was before the injury. That’s what I wanted to express in my social media when I said we have to go through storms so many times and in so many ways, because I think after the storm, you are a completely different person for the better. And you know that after a storm, the sun always comes out. That’s my mindset, my life philosophy.