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Baptiste Saves Six, Upsets Sabalenka in Madrid

4/29/2026

27 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Hailey Baptiste defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) in the Madrid Open quarter-finals.
Baptiste saved six match points during the two-hour-thirty-minute contest.
The win ended Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak, marking her second loss of the season.
Baptiste’s victory secures a career-high ranking of at least No. 24 and a semifinal matchup with world No. 9 Mirra Andreeva.

History

Historical Context

Roberta Vinci’s 2015 US Open semifinal win over world No. 1 Serena Williams ended a 34-match streak and halted Williams’ bid for a calendar Grand Slam, a shock still cited when Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open quarterfinal, snapping Sabalenka’s 15-match run and underscoring how single-match upsets reshape the WTA tour.

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Story summary

Hailey Baptiste defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) in the Madrid Open quarter-finals.
Baptiste saved six match points during the two-hour-thirty-minute contest.
The win ended Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak, marking her second loss of the season.
Baptiste’s victory secures a career-high ranking of at least No. 24 and a semifinal matchup with world No. 9 Mirra Andreeva.

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