Home » Hailey Baptiste on recognizing that not everyone has a smooth professional career like Serena Williams
Hailey Baptiste on recognizing that not everyone has a smooth professional career like Serena Williams
Hailey Baptiste, a 20-year-old American tennis player, acknowledges that as a child, she believed her professional career would be similar to those of Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal. However, she is now more grounded and aware of how difficult it is to succeed as a pro.
In the first round of the Washington Open in 2019, 17-year-old Baptiste made headlines for defeating former top-10 player Madison Keys 7-6 (4) 6-2. Baptiste has had to deal with a number of difficulties since then, such as the pandemic and injuries.
To put it mildly, it has been a frustrating journey for me, Baptiste told The Washington Post. “At the age of nine, when you see yourself as a professional tennis player, you never consider the challenges that lie ahead.
You just think that everything will work out for you like they did for Rafael Nadal or Serena Williams. But being a professional is really difficult, and every day brings a fresh obstacle.
Still considering herself “fortunate” to be a tennis pro, Hailey
Baptiste made almost $170k in 2022, but more than $130k was given away to pay bills.
Hailey Baptiste, a tennis pro in Washington, D.C., earned $175,288 in 2022 before taxes, but she claimed she had to pay more than $130,000 in expenditures. via @Raggs No Riches, fascinating https://t.co/QkxhFiivpV — Dan Steinberg on August 1, 2022 (@dcsportsbog).
“Don’t misunderstand me.
Despite being a professional tennis player, I can’t help but compare my life to that of a top-150 player when I watch other sports. Don’t assume I’m here searching for sympathy—I picked this sport and I know you have to win to make money.
Baptiste continued, “I’m simply telling you the truth about the sport. Baptiste, meanwhile, left the Citi Open in Washington. Baptiste’s first-round opponent was top-ranked American Jessica Pegula after receiving a wildcard to the Washington main draw.
Baptiste was easily defeated by first-seeded Pegula, who defeated the American wildcard 6-2, 6-2. With two breaks of the 20-year-old in each set and no break points encountered, Pegula easily defeated Baptiste. How Baptiste performs for the remainder of the North American hard court swing is still unknown.
