Hailey Baptiste Stuns at Cincinnati Open: 5 Must-Know Facts About Tennis’s New Breakout Star

Hailey Baptiste storms into the 2025 US Open riding a career-best No. 47 world ranking and a season that already features 26 match wins, the most she has ever logged before New York. The 23-year-old Washington, D.C. native opens her campaign against Czech shot-maker Katerina Siniakova on Tuesday, 26 August, in the day session on Court 7—a first-round duel many pundits are calling a potential upset special given Baptiste’s momentum on hard courts. Fresh form • Baptiste’s summer swing featured a statement win over fellow American Whitney Osuigwe in Montreal before a competitive second-round exit to No. 4 Elena Rybakina, proving she can trade blows with the tour’s elite. • Her 9-10 record on hard courts this year underscores rapid improvement after working with coaches Eric Hechtman and Franklin Tiafoe on first-serve placement and forehand weight. Why Baptiste is trending Search interest spiked after the USTA awarded her a US Open main-draw wildcard, rewarding a rise that began when she upset Madison Keys as a 17-year-old in Washington. Fans also gravitate to her story: a childhood hitting session with Venus and Serena Williams that convinced her tennis—not basketball—was her calling. Tactical keys vs. Siniakova 1. Attack the second serve: Siniakova’s delivery averages under 95 mph; Baptiste wins 57 % of points when stepping inside the baseline on second-serve returns this season. 2. Keep rallies under five shots: The American wins 68 % of points decided in that window, compared with Siniakova’s 52 %. 3. Bring the crowd: Baptiste calls New York her “favorite noise,” and a partisan atmosphere historically fuels her—she owns a 12-5 record on US soil in 2025. What a win would mean Victory would likely set up a blockbuster second-round meeting with No. 14 Zheng Qinwen, offering Baptiste a shot at her first top-20 scalp at a Slam and a pathway toward cracking the top 40 in the WTA Rankings for the first time. How to watch The match will be streamed on ESPN+ in the United States and via the US Open app globally, with first ball scheduled not before 3 p.m. ET. Bottom line Hailey Baptiste has evolved from promising junior to genuine tour threat. If her serve clicks and the Arthur Ashe crowds bleed onto Court 7, the American could author the tournament’s opening-day headline—and cement her place among the sport’s next wave of stars.