Aryna Sabalenka has reacted after her title defence at the Madrid Open ended with a shock quarter-final defeat to Hailey Baptiste.
The world No 1 was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(6) by 32nd-ranked Baptiste on Manolo Santana Stadium court on Tuesday evening.
Sabalenka was unable to convert six match points in the third set — five on Baptiste’s serve when leading 5-4 and one when serving at 6-5 in the tiebreak.
The 27-year-old Belarusian was chasing her fourth title at the Madrid Open after triumphing at the WTA 1000 tournament in 2021, 2023 and 2025.
The four-time major champion’s defeat was just her second loss of 2026 and her first since she fell to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final in January.
Sabalenka had amassed a 15-match winning streak that included her title runs in Indian Wells and Miami and her three wins en route to the quarter-finals in Madrid.
Madrid Open News
Madrid Open: Hailey Baptiste +8 in WTA Rankings after dramatic Aryna Sabalenka upset
How Coco Gauff’s Madrid Open exit affects WTA Rankings as Iga Swiatek gets boost
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
In a post on her Instagram account after the match, Sabalenka wrote: “Not the ending I wanted, but proud of the work I put in.
“We’re just getting started with clay season. Thank you @mutuamadridopen.”
Here is everything Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference.
Q. What made the difference?
Sabalenka: “It was a tough match. She played great, I played great.
“I think I had some opportunities in the third set, and I felt like I was maybe a little bit rushing the points there. But it’s okay, I guess sometimes you have to learn, take the best from this week and move on.”
Q. What was going through your mind on the match points?
Sabalenka: “I think she played great points. I mean, I had some opportunities, didn’t use them. She played really brave tennis, I feel like, on those match points.”
Q. What did Baptiste do differently compared to their match in Miami (which Sabalenka won 6-4, 6-4)?
Sabalenka:“I feel like, in Miami, I didn’t give her many opportunities — she couldn’t break my serve, I believe. But here, in the first game second set, I just double faulted twice out of nowhere, and I felt like that gave her belief.
“And after that, she started playing more aggressively. As I said, she was playing brave tennis. What can I say? Well done.”
Q. Was there pressure from the winning streak?
Sabalenka:“Not really, I was just playing tennis. I was just trying to find a way in this match. It didn’t work today. As I said, never crossed my mind.”
READ NEXT: Madrid Open: Arthur Fils makes defiant statement as he seals +8 ATP Rankings jump
