ORLANDO, Fla., October 17, 2024 (USTA Press Release)

Hailey Baptiste‘s performance during the WTA’s Asian swing has all but secured her place in the 2025 Australian Open main draw. Her 230 points earned since the beginning of the Australian Open Wild Card Challenge far outpaces the other wild card challengers to date, but has also lifted her singles ranking to No. 80, likely good for direct entry.

With Baptiste a probable direct entrant, and second-place Bernarda Pera also in line for direct entry while currently ranked No. 79, Texas A&M senior and reigning ITA National Player of the Year Mary Stoiana becomes the defacto Challenge leader, in a close race between her, Iva Jovic and Sofia Kenin. There are two weeks of competition left in the women’s side of the Challenge.

The current top of the women’s standings (player’s current ranking in parenthesis):

1. Hailey Baptiste (80) — 230

2. Bernarda Pera (79) — 95

3. Mary Stoiana (320) — 79

4. Iva Jovic (246) — 76

5. Sofia Kenin (158) — 70

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.