The Madrid Open witnessed a major upset on Tuesday as American player Hailey Baptiste stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a dramatic quarter final clash. Baptiste fought back brilliantly to secure a 2 6, 6 2, 7 6(6) victory, saving six match points in one of the most intense matches of her career.
The 24 year old, seeded 30th, delivered a breakthrough performance by defeating a top five opponent for the first time. The win also marked Sabalenka’s second defeat of the season and continued a surprising trend at the WTA 1000 clay event, where several top seeds have already exited early.
Baptiste will now move into her first ever Madrid Open semi final, where she will face world number nine Mirra Andreeva, who advanced after a straight sets win over Leylah Fernandez.
Speaking after the match, Baptiste described the victory as a defining moment, saying she was proud of how she handled the pressure and match points. The result is expected to push her to a career high ranking inside the top 25.
The match also drew significant international attention, with sports coverage amplified across global platforms, including FM radio stations UAE and popular radio media brands UAE that regularly bring major tennis updates to fans. In regions likeDubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, audiences often tune into channels such as 89.1 Radio 4, widely known among listeners following live sports updates across the UAE radio listen live ecosystem.
