Hailey Baptiste is set to compete in the Round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event, a first in her career. The 24-year-old American achieved this milestone after securing what she considers the best win of her career. She defeated world No. 9 Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-3, 7-5.
Baptiste’s Breakthrough Win
Baptiste’s victory against Svitolina, who entered Miami with the most match wins on either the ATP or WTA this season, marks her second career Top 10 win. Her previous Top 10 win was against Barbora Krejcikova in Wuhan in 2024.
Reflecting on her recent success, Baptiste told reporters, “You can’t get to this point without doing the right things, and I’ve definitely been putting in a lot of work off the court and on the court, behind the scenes, and it’s clearly showing up.”
She added, “I’ve been here for a while, everybody pretty much knows what I can do and it’s time for me to show it, I guess.”
A Year of Progress
Baptiste’s rise has been nearly a year in the making, starting with her first Grand Slam fourth-round appearance at Roland Garros last summer. In 2026, she reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time. She also reached her first WTA 500 semifinal in Abu Dhabi, where she narrowly missed the final after a tight three-set match against Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Notably, Baptiste parted ways with coach Eric Hechtman three days after debuting in the Top 40 at No. 39. Hechtman had taken over from Franklin Tiafoe.
Trusting Her Game
Regardless of her coaching situation, Baptiste emphasises the importance of self-trust in her decision-making. She believes this has been a key factor in her ascent.
“I’ve always kind of known how I should play, and you know there’s moments where maybe I don’t trust it as much, and right now, the last few months and over the past year, I’ve just been trying to trust my game and trust myself as much as possible. Obviously, belief is a huge part of getting wins,” she said.
Baptiste added, “I’ve always had a belief in myself and in my game, but I think it’s just like doubling down on the belief and when you’re in those tight moments, just trusting what you’ve done, the work you’ve put in, and going after it.”
A victory against Ostapenko could elevate her ranking further, potentially placing her near the Top 30 and surpassing her previous career-high ranking.