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Hailey Baptiste Saves Six, Upsets Sabalenka in Madrid

4/29/2026

32 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Baptiste Upsets Sabalenka

Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) at the Madrid Open, ending Sabalenka’s 15-match streak.
The 24-year-old, ranked 32nd, recorded her first victory over a top-five opponent.
Baptiste became the first player since Iga Swiatek in 2024 to beat Sabalenka after saving match points.
She will face No. 8 Mirra Andreeva in Thursday’s semifinal, which begins at 10 AM ET on The Tennis Channel.

Summary

Baptiste Beats Sabalenka

Baptiste, the lowest-ranked player in four decades to beat a world No. 1 on clay, became the second American to do so at the Madrid Open, joining Serena Williams’s 2012 victory.
Her ranking jumps from No. 32 to a projected No. 24 and could rise to No. 18 after a semi-final win or No. 15 if she wins the title.
The quarter-final win secures Baptiste’s first WTA 1000 semi-final, with the event already having eliminated its top seven seeds.

Summary

Sabalenka Trains Rome

Aryna Sabalenka will train in Rome after her Madrid loss to improve her clay game.
Mirra Andreeva, on her 19th birthday, says she is focused and will keep that mood for the semifinal.
Analysts say Baptiste’s serve-and-volley, drop shots and pace changes can unsettle power players before the French Open.
Baptiste told the World Feed she feels confident after a three-set win over Belinda Bencic helped her handle match points.

History

Historical Context

After Serena Williams captured the 2012 Madrid Open on blue clay, beating world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka for her 41st career title, American women have rarely triumphed on the surface. In 2024, 24-year-old Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to upset world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the same tournament, echoing Williams’s lone clay-court dominance and suggesting a renewed U.S. presence.

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Baptiste Upsets Sabalenka

Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) at the Madrid Open, ending Sabalenka’s 15-match streak.
The 24-year-old, ranked 32nd, recorded her first victory over a top-five opponent.
Baptiste became the first player since Iga Swiatek in 2024 to beat Sabalenka after saving match points.
She will face No. 8 Mirra Andreeva in Thursday’s semifinal, which begins at 10 AM ET on The Tennis Channel.

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