John Isner predicts if Hailey Baptiste will be ranked in the WTA top 10 by the end of this year

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Hailey Baptiste is among the WTA players to watch at the Italian Open after her phenomenal run in Madrid.

Baptiste is now 25th in the WTA rankings after reaching the semifinals of the Madrid Open, enjoying a rise of seven places.

It represents a career-high rank for the American, who defeated world number one and top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Baptiste also knocked out Jasmine Paolini and Belinda Bencic before falling to Mirra Andreeva, who lost the final to Marta Kostyuk.

Her efforts have now caught the eye of former player John Isner, who has predicted whether she will be ranked in the WTA top 10 by the end of 2026.

John Isner says Hailey Baptiste won’t break WTA top 10 in 2026

Isner said of his fellow American on the Nothing Major Show: “Not yet in my mind. She is up to 25 in the world. She has a big game, has a lot of swag.

“Most important she has the belief now. When you beat the most dominant player in women’s tennis, I don’t care what the surface is, that is going to give you a lot of confidence.

“In the last couple of years she has not shown that level but now she has. She is young and has a lot of runway ahead of her.

“It’s another American player to root for. She hits such a big ball from the back of the court. She’s very good and it’s awesome to see. She has a lot of personality as well.

“It’s a surprising result to beat Sabalenka but she came through in the clutch so well in that match, to save six match points is extraordinary.

“Top 10? I am not going to say she is going to get there this year.

“She looks to me to be a top 20 player for sure and that’s really cool, because she was not on anyone’s radar I don’t think prior to this year.”

Hailey Baptiste continues impressive WTA rankings rise

Baptiste can be hugely proud of her efforts at the Madrid Open, particularly the physical and mental strength she showed in her epic battle with Sabalenka.

The 24-year-old American now has a 16-11 record for the season, with a maiden career title looking increasingly likely.

She may just be targeting that goal at the Italian Open, where Baptiste will face either Yuliia Starodubtseva or a qualifier in round two after receiving a first round bye.

Another goal may indeed involve further climbing the WTA rankings, with plenty of her compatriots providing more than enough motivation.

Coco Gauff is fourth in the WTA rankings, followed by Jessica Pegula in fifth and Amanda Anisimova in sixth.

Meanwhile, Iva Jovic and Madison Keys are also both top 20 players, and could be joined there very soon by Baptiste.