Hailey Baptiste had never beaten a Top 5 player. Now she has — and she made sure it would be one to remember.
The 24-year-old stunned World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) in 2 hours and 30 minutes Tuesday night, saving six match points to earn the biggest win of her career. She’s the first player to beat Sabalenka from match points down since Iga Swiatek did so in the 2024 Madrid final. The victory also snaps Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak and sends Baptiste to the Madrid semifinals for the first time.
Madrid: Scores | Draws | Order of play
It’s her first WTA 1000 semifinal, where she’ll face another Top 10 opponent in Mirra Andreeva. The No. 9 seed advanced earlier Tuesday with a straight-sets win over Leylah Fernandez to reach her first Madrid semifinal.
More to come…