MADRID/WASHINGTON, April 29, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
American Hailey Baptiste had been building up to her thrilling upset of defending Mutua Madrid Open champion and current World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for quite some time.
Last year, she reached the fourth round at Roland-Garros and the third round at Wimbledon, her best finishes in those majors. Then, she pushed current World No. 3 Coco Gauff to three sets before losing to her fellow American at the Australian Open in the third round, and followed it with a semifinal run at Abu Dhabi that included a pair of Top-20 wins over Liudmila Samsonova and Emma Navarro.
Last month, Baptiste was a surprise quarterfinalist at the WTA 1000 Miami Open. In Madrid, she paved the way for her upset of Sabalenka with a pair of quality wins over World No. 9 Jasmine Paolini and World No. 12 Belinda Bencic, where she’s been enjoying a career week.
After saving 6 MPs, @savvy_bap dethrones defending champion Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) to reach her maiden #MMOPEN semifinals. pic.twitter.com/3QlvsyFrRT
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 28, 2026
So, it should come as little surprise that the 24-year-old from Washington, D.C., currently ranked 32nd and seeded No. 30 in Madrid, secured the biggest win of her career after saving six match points to pull off a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory over the defending champion and top-seeded Sabalenka. In a quarterfinal clash that stretched across two hours and 30 minutes Tuesday night on Manolo Santana Stadium, the triumph advanced Baptiste into her WTA 1000 semifinal. Throughout, there was plenty of drama and tension – and excitement, too.
It was just the second loss of the season for Sabalenka – the first came in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina, who was eliminated in the fourth round at Madrid a day earlier – and it ended the Belarusian’s 15-match winning streak, which included winning back-to-back WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and Miami last month. With Sabalenka out, it ensures there will be a new Madrid Open champion come Saturday. It’s anyone’s guess who will step up and win it, but why not Baptiste?
MIC DROP @savvy_bap saved six match points against World No.1 Sabalenka to advance to the semifinals!#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/4g76CM1G2h
— wta (@WTA) April 28, 2026
Statistically speaking, Baptiste ripped 37 winners against Sabalenka – including 12 aces – but also made 59 unforced errors. By comparison, Sabalenka struck 27 winners and made 45 unforced errors.
“I played her a few weeks ago and it was kind of a close match,” Baptiste said in her post-match news conference after improving her 2026 win-loss record to 15-9. “I just got broken once in each set. So, I had a better idea of how to play her, and how I should play, adjustments I needed to make. So, I think I just went in trying to play my game, still doing the same things that I’ve been doing, but I had a few adjustments I needed to make from the last time we played.”
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By the end, when Baptiste hit her last winner – a third-shot forehand that landed just inside the baseline – the look on her face was equal parts excitement, bemusement and jubilation. After all, it was Baptiste’s first win over a World No. 1 – and her second Top-10 win of the week. The victory advanced her to her second tour-level semifinal of her career and, after being ranked No. 88 a year ago, her PIF WTA Live Ranking has risen to No. 24.
@savvy_bap | @WTA | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/wtu5o2Q5lI
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 28, 2026
“I feel like in Miami I didn’t give her many opportunities,” Sabalenka said during her post-match news conference, looking back at her 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Baptiste at the recent Miami Open. “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.”
During a sit-down interview with Tennis Channel shortly after she walked out of Manolo Santana Stadium, Baptiste described her feelings this way: “I’m feeling very good; I’m happy to be able to [win] in front of my brothers, who are here this week. It’s a very special moment for me.”
On Thursday, in her first WTA 1000 semifinal, Baptiste will face World No. 8 and ninth seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who advanced over No. 24 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada, 7-6 (1), 6-3, in one hour and 44 minutes earlier Tuesday. It will be a chance at a third Top-10 win in Madrid for Baptiste. She has four career Top-10 victories and is hungry for more.
“Somebody else that I played before and lost to,” Baptiste said during her news conference. “A little bit of a revenge tour, I guess. I’m looking to go out there and play my game again and get another win.”
First women’s singles semifinal is set
[30] Hailey Baptiste vs. [9] Mirra Andreeva@WTA | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/ove4fDAvT9
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 28, 2026
