Frances Tiafoe was also among the notable seeds to exit in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships. However, one unseeded player’s ongoing run at the All England Club has kept him engaged.
American youngster Hailey Baptiste has been making steady progress at Wimbledon, and her second-round victory on Thursday drew praise from Tiafoe.
Frances Tiafoe Lauds Hailey Baptiste for Reaching Wimbledon 3R
Baptiste, 23, faced Canada’s Victoria Mboko in the second round but seemed out of touch initially. Mboko led 5-2 in the first set, however, she lost rhythm, let her opponent break her twice, and eventually fell 6-7(8) in the first set tiebreak. Baptiste didn’t give the Canadian any chance in the second set, as she secured it 6-3 to advance into the third round.
Baptiste d. Victoria Mboko 7-6 6-3 at Wimbledon
Down 2-5 in the 1st set.
Hailey fought back and never looked back.
She hadn’t been to the 3rd round of a slam before reaching the 2nd week of Roland Garros.
✅1st Wimbledon R3
Making a habit of winning in the Slams.
🇺🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/F3SNckGco4
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 3, 2025
Baptiste’s run at Wimbledon has surprised many, considering she didn’t qualify for the main draws in Nottingham or Eastbourne during the lead-up. Her compatriot, Tiafoe, who entered Wimbledon as the 12th seed, unexpectedly fell to home favorite Cameron Norrie in the second round, reacted to her triumph on Instagram.
The 27-year-old shared the WTA’s post celebrating Baptiste’s triumph on his Instagram story, setting it to Jay-Z’s song A Star Is Born in the background.
What makes Baptiste’s progress at Wimbledon even more special for Tiafoe is that she’s coached by his twin brother, Franklin.
Frances Tiafoe’s Subpar Grass-Court Swing Comes to an End
Tiafoe enjoyed a comparatively stronger grass-court swing last year, reaching the quarterfinals in Stuttgart, suffering a first-round exit at the Queen’s Club Championships, and advancing to the third round at Wimbledon.
However, Tiafoe’s form on grass dipped this year. He competed only at the Queen’s Club Championships ahead of Wimbledon, entering as the seventh seed but falling to home favorite Dan Evans 5-7, 2-6 in the first round. He then turned his attention to Wimbledon, where he began with a straight set win over Elmer Møller but couldn’t get past Cameron Norrie, losing 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-7 in the second round.
Read More: Frances Tiafoe After Wimbledon Exit — ‘The Game’s Really Tough, Not Like How It Used To Be’
Tiafoe’s best performances in 2025 includes a runner-up finish at Houston and a quarterfinal finish at the French Open. The American currently holds a modest 18-15 win-loss record this season and will look to improve it as he heads into the next and final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open.
