Hailey Baptiste's dramatic upset victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka has boosted her ranking and confidence, yet former player John Isner sees her as a top 20 talent rather than a top 10 contender this year.
Baptiste defeated Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) in Madrid on April 28 after saving six match points. The win marked her first WTA 1000 semifinal and ended the Belarusian player's 15-match winning streak. It was also Baptiste's first victory over a top-five opponent.
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Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff in three sets to defend her Miami Open title on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. The world No. 1 completed the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. The match featured tense moments, including Sabalenka's irritation with noise from Gauff's player box.
Hailey Baptiste hit Elina Svitolina in the face with a forehand during their second-round match at the Italian Open on Sunday. Svitolina recovered quickly and won the match 6-1, 6-2.
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Mirra Andreeva beat Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (8) on Thursday to advance to the Mutua Madrid Open final. The 19-year-old saved three set points in a dramatic second set and became the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals since 2009. She will face the winner of Marta Kostyuk and Anastasia Potapova on Saturday.
Aryna Sabalenka is set to mark her birthday week by achieving two significant WTA rankings milestones at the Italian Open. She will spend her 81st and 82nd consecutive weeks at No. 1, surpassing Martina Hingis for the 10th-longest streak since 1975. During the second week in Rome, she is also poised to reach her 90th career week at the top.
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Paula Badosa overcame a first-set deficit to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the Berlin Tennis Open. The victory marked her first win over a top-10 player since the same event last year.