ORLANDO, Fla., October 7, 2024
Hailey Baptiste leads the women’s side of the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge after its first official week. Baptiste’s leading total of 80 points includes results from two events, as she qualified and reached the second round of the China Open WTA 1000 in Beijing (which began on September 25), then reached the second round of the WTA 125 event in Hong Kong. Sixteen-year old Iva Jovic, this year’s USTA Girls’ 18s national champion, is second with 75 points counted from winning the title at the USTA Pro Circuit W75 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
The current top of the women’s standings (player’s current ranking in parenthesis):
1. Hailey Baptiste (102) — 80
2. Iva Jovic (216) — 75
T3. Sofia Kenin (162) — 35
T3. Lea Ma (474) — 35
The women’s wild card will be awarded to the American with the most ranking points earned at a maximum of three tournaments during its four-week window. The women’s Challenge window runs through the week of October 21. All indoor and outdoor hard-court and carpet events at the W35 level and above are included in the Challenge.
