Hailey Baptiste saw her French Open campaign come to a nightmare end in the second round.
During her round-of-64 bout with Wang Xiyu, Baptiste was forced to retire after an awkward landing, which left her screaming in pain.
It was later confirmed that the American, who was in fine form heading into Roland Garros, suffered injuries to her ACL and meniscus in her left knee.
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As well as her singles campaign, Baptiste was scheduled to play doubles in Paris alongside tennis legend Venus Williams.
Following her injury, US number one Coco Gauff had some words of encouragement for her compatriot.
Coco Gauff admits she was emotional watching Hailey Baptiste’s match
Speaking in a press conference after reaching the third round of Roland Garros, Gauff said of Baptiste’s setback: “It was really sad to see.
“I got a little bit emotional just seeing her dad run on the court and stuff. It just reminded me of my dynamic with my dad. I know he would do the same.
“Hailey’s someone who’s always been really nice on and off the court, regardless of where she’s been in the rankings or regardless of where I’ve been in the rankings.
“I think that’s something I really respect about her and the work that she’s put in. She’s kind of been the underdog throughout her whole life, honestly.
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“And she’s proved everyone wrong and passed all expectations. It was tough to see. I did reach out immediately after I saw it. Just wishing her the best.
“I don’t know the severity of it yet, but I know Hailey, and I know she’s resilient and she’s going to come back so strong. It’s just unfortunate. You don’t want to see that with anyone. I wish her all the best.”
Hailey Baptiste’s incredible run at the Madrid Open
Prior to the French Open, Baptiste recorded her two-best ever finishes at WTA 1000 competitions.
She reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, before delivering a remarkable campaign at the Madrid Open.
In the Spanish capital, Baptiste beat Jasmine Paolini and Belinda Bencic en route to the last eight, where she met world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
Baptiste then earned a shocking upset victory over Sabalenka, becoming just the second player to beat the Belarusian in 2026, joining Elena Rybakina.
Her run in Madrid came to an end in the semifinals, however, with Baptiste falling to Mirra Andreeva.
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