30th seed Hailey Baptiste played her best tennis at the Madrid Open, defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2–6, 6–2, 7–6(8–6) to reach the semi-finals.
Sabalenka started well and won the first set 6–2 with her strong hitting. Baptiste came back in the second set, playing with more control to win 6–2 and level the match.
The third set was very close, with both players fighting hard and holding their serves, which led to a tiebreak.
Baptiste stayed calm in the key moments and won the tiebreak 8–6 to take the set 7–6 and complete a 2–6, 6–2, 7–6(8–6) win.
Speaking to the media after the match, the 24-year-old said she is excited about the win and feels that it shows her hard work over the years is finally paying off.
“Incredible. Super proud of myself. It was a super tight match, 7-6 in the third. Had to fight off match points; I’m really happy right now.
“It just shows me where my game lies. I’ve always believed it. Now I’m starting to put it into action, and the world is seeing it as well.”
Baptiste’s next opponent will be Mirra Andreeva, and both players have played against each other twice on the WTA Tour, with their head-to-head being 1–1.
At Wimbledon 2025, Andreeva won in straight sets 6–1, 6–3. Baptiste also has one win against Andreeva from another match in the 2025 season.
