Hailey Baptiste's French Open campaign ended in distressing scenes on Wednesday as the American tennis star suffered a severe knee injury during her second-round match against Xiyu Wang. The 24-year-old collapsed in agony on Court 6 after a lengthy game that featured multiple deuces, with Wang leading 5-4 in the opening set.
Baptiste was heard screaming and crying as she received medical treatment. Her father rushed from his seat to assist, but she repeatedly told him to 'stop' when he tried to touch her. The chair umpire Marija Cicak and physios attended to her, but she was unable to bear weight on her leg and was eventually taken off the court in a wheelchair, covering her face with a towel.
The match was abandoned, and Wang advanced to the third round. No official diagnosis has been confirmed, but there are fears of an ACL injury, which would be a recurrence of the same injury Baptiste suffered at Roland Garros in 2021.
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens expressed her sympathy, saying: 'That is absolutely devastating and heartbreaking. It hurts so bad for Hailey because it's the best tennis she's ever played in her career. Highest ranking she’s ever been to, she just signed a Nike contract, everything is looking up... Injuries are so tough and so hard, especially when you’re at the top of your game.'
