American World No. 30 Hailey Baptiste stunned the tennis world at the Madrid Masters after defeating World No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) quarterfinal comeback. By toppling the top seed, Baptiste equaled an impressive milestone set by the legendary Serena Williams.
With the biggest win of her career, Baptiste became only the second American woman to defeat a World No. 1 at the Madrid Masters. The only other player to achieve this was Serena Williams in 2012, when she defeated Victoria Azarenka in the final, according to OptaAce.
The 24-year-old American delivered a resilient performance, saving six match points to secure her first-ever victory over a top 5 opponent and reach her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal.
Baptiste capitalized on her only match point
The defining difference in the match was clinical efficiency. While Sabalenka failed to convert six different opportunities to close out the contest, Baptiste made her very first match point count.
“I definitely had a lot of nerves. I had 28 chances yesterday and I didn’t get it done. I told my team, ‘When I get my match point today I’m gonna win the first one that I get,’ and I did it,” Baptiste said in her post-match interview.
Her comments refer to her Round of 16 battle against Belinda Bencic, where she missed six match points in a grueling second-set tiebreak that ended 16-14 in favor of the Swiss. This time, she didn’t let the opportunity slip away.
What’s next for Baptiste?
Baptiste will now compete in her first Masters 1000 semifinal on Thursday, April 30, against World No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, who advanced after defeating Leylah Fernandez in her respective quarterfinal.
The only previous meeting between the two took place in the third round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, where the Russian dominated with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Baptiste will be looking for revenge and a spot in the biggest final of her career.
