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Madrid Open star destroys racket as six match points blown in dramatic contest
Reach Daily Express | April 27, 2026 9:39 PM CST

Hailey Baptiste let her frustrations out during a dramatic tiebreak, which saw her blow multiple match points against 11th seed Belinda Bencic in Madrid. The American looked on her way to victory and had a match point at 6-5 in the second set, before more came and went in the tiebreak.

Baptiste was able to convert her fifth match point while serving at 11-10 in the dramatic tiebreak. On the next point, she hit a double fault to give Bencic a set point, and then slammed her racket into the ground three times before bending it over her knee.

"Oh no, don't do it, Hailey!" commentators exclaimed as Baptiste channelled her frustrations into her racket before changing ends. "That was a very high ball toss, wasn't it? Calm and collected, Hailey Baptiste has been, but it just gets too much."

The co-commentator replied: "Absolutely understandable reaction from Hailey Baptiste. Three of the match points in this tiebreak have been double faults. Purely mental. Well, this reaction could help to release that tension."

The chair umpire announced a code violation for racket abuse for Baptiste, who had already been given a time violation. But Bencic also couldn't get over the line with a set point on her serve, and the tiebreak continued.

A sixth match point came and went for No. 30 seed Baptiste, and Bencic finally converted her sixth set point to win the staggering 95-minute second set 7-6(14), forcing a deciding set.

Baptiste has already caused a massive upset in Madrid, taking out sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round over the weekend. And she looked on her way to another scalp against Bencic, before being dragged into a third set.

But the 24-year-old managed to regroup and claimed a crucial break in the sixth game of the deciding set to take the lead. And Baptiste kept on rolling until she closed out a 6-1 6-7(14) 6-3 victory.

The 24-year-old reached a maiden WTA 1000 quarter-final last month in Miami and has immediately repeated that feat by beating Bencic. Baptiste now faces a very tough test in the last eight, facing either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or former No. 1 Naomi Osaka. Baptiste lost to Sabalenka in Miami last month.

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