Madrid Open: Hailey Baptiste reaches semifinals, defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

By  News On Air   Apr 29, 2026

At the Madrid Open tennis tournament, American Hailey Baptiste pulled off a stunning upset to defeat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and reach the semifinals in Spain.

The 24-year-old fought back from a set down. She saved six match points to clinch a hard-fought 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) win in a match lasting two hours and 30 minutes.

The victory is the biggest of her career. It also ended Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak on the tour. Baptiste, who had never beaten a Top 5 opponent before this week, has now recorded back-to-back wins over top players in Madrid. She had earlier defeated Jasmine Paolini in the third round. With this result, she has advanced to her maiden WTA 1000 semi-final.