Hailey Baptiste has left the tennis community in awe with a sensational upset against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the 2026 Madrid Open. Jessica Pegula, Chris Evert, and Frances Tiafoe, among others, rushed to show their support for the 24-year-old after she notched the biggest win of her career.
How Tennis Stars Reacted to Hailey Baptiste’s Victory
After being outplayed by Aryna Sabalenka in the opening set, Hailey Baptiste staged a remarkable turnaround in the second set to force a decider. The American then saved six match points to secure a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) victory after a two-hour, 30-minute battle, putting an end to Sabalenka’s title defense and advancing to the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event.
Not only did she thrill tennis fans with her incredible performance, but Baptiste also earned recognition from her peers and legends of the sport. Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe were quick to celebrate the 24-year-old, sharing celebratory posts with fitting emojis.
Chris Evert was left stunned by Baptiste’s feat, reacting with “Unbelievable” under a list of her achievements. Former doubles world No. 1 and Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs also showered praise on the American.
“WHAT A MATCH!!!! Hailey B has always been this player, it was just a matter of her believing in herself and doing the work!! SO FUN TO WATCH…,” Stubbs wrote.
Meanwhile, Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert called attention to Baptiste’s forehand and versatility, posting, “Holy Toledo Baptiste with a huge effort saving 6 MP’s 2 on 2nd serv S&V, tremendous variety and definitely 💯 has one of the best Fearhands in the women’s game.”
Aryna Sabalenka Applauds Hailey Baptiste’s ‘Brave’ Display
Baptiste also impressed Aryna Sabalenka with her performance in their blockbuster quarterfinal clash. The world No. 1, who had cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 win in their Miami Open clash last month, acknowledged where she went wrong in Madrid and praised Baptiste for capitalizing on her mistakes with a “brave” display.
“I feel like in Miami I didn’t give her many opportunities. She couldn’t break my serve. Here, the first game, second set, I just double-faulted twice out of nowhere. It felt like that gave her belief. After that, she just started playing more aggressively. She was playing brave tennis. What can I say? Well done,” Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference.
Next up, Hailey Baptiste will face a tough challenge against No. 9 seed Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event. Trailing 0-1 in their head-to-head record, the American set her sights on taking “revenge” against Andreeva in the highly anticipated encounter.
