Elena Rybakina overcomes Baptiste test to reach Indian Wells third round
Elena Rybakina defeated Hailey Baptiste 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-2 on Saturday and will face either Marta Kostyuk or Taylor Townsend in the next round.
Elena Rybakina, 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
Elena Rybakina survived a challenging three-set opening match against American Hailey Baptiste on Saturday evening. She prevailed 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-2 to secure her place in the round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open. The world No 3 demonstrated patience and adaptability in swirling desert winds. She eventually outlasted the American qualifier in a physical contest.
Rybakina managed to save three set points in the opening frame. This mental edge eventually decided the contest in the decider.
Rybakina eyes third round clash against Kostyuk or Townsend
The victory sets up a third-round encounter against the winner of the match between Marta Kostyuk and Taylor Townsend.
“Difficult first match,” Rybakina noted in her post-match press conference. “Hailey played really well. She served good. I was a little bit rushing on the serve since it was windy. I was just trying to play point at a time and not focus so much on the score.”
The defining element was Rybakina’s immediate resurgence at the start of the third set. She secured two breaks of serve to pull away from the American. These breaks allowed her to reclaim momentum after a poor second set.
62-minute marathon in the 1st set
The match opened with a 62-minute marathon first set in heavy conditions. Baptiste had momentum from her previous round win over Emiliana Arango. She used an aggressive forehand and a tricky slice to disrupt the Rybakina rhythm. The American capitalized on Rybakina’s fluctuating energy to level the match in the second set. Rybakina then adjusted her tactics to handle the high-bouncing second serves in the third set.
“I was a little bit rushing on the serve since it was windy,” Rybakina admitted when discussing her comeback from three set points down in the opening frame. “So I was just trying to play point at a time and not focus so much on the score, because in these conditions, anything can change quickly.” The world No 3 noted that the slow courts and heavy balls made it difficult to move the play. “Dropped a little bit the energy in the second set, but overall, happy that I found my way in the end.”
Rybakina credited her opponent for maintaining pressure throughout the two-hour and 18-minute contest. “She was staying aggressive,” the Kazakh observed regarding Baptiste’s performance. “She was serving well, and her second serve is quite tough to step in.” She further explained that the high bounce and wind required constant adjustment. “She has a pretty good forehand, good slice, and I was trying to move a little bit the ball, but with the conditions, it was not easy.”
Rybakina on the viral video : “nothing really happened”
Despite the victory, the 2023 champion remained critical of her current form in the desert. “It was a bit better, but still, I would say that it is not my best,” she said of her improved third-set intensity. “I should have find solution quicker, whenever I had the opportunity when I was up.” Rybakina concluded that some tactical decisions were wrong and represent something for her to work on.
Addressing a viral video involving a tournament official, she stated that “nothing really happened” and that the footage simply “looked like this.” The incident occurred during the Eisenhower Cup trophy ceremony on Tuesday when David Renker, a Senior Vice President at Eisenhower Health, placed his hand on Elena Rybakina’s waist for a photograph.
Footage of the world No 3 immediately nudging his hand away spread rapidly across social media, where fans described the interaction as highly inappropriate and uncomfortable. Despite the public outcry and calls for the WTA to intervene, Rybakina remained silent on the matter until her opening match victory at Indian Wells on Saturday.
Indian wells, 2nd round, women’s singles
Aryna Sabalenka (1) – Himeno Sakatsume (Q): 6-4, 6-2
Jaqueline Cristian – Maya Joint (29): 0-6, 6-2, 7-5
Camila Osorio – Iva Jovic (18): 4-6, 7-6[4], 6-3
Naomi Osaka (16) – Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (Q): 7-5, 6-2
Victoria Mboko (10) – Kimberly Birrell: 6-4, 7-6[4]
Anna Kalinskaya (23) – Zeynep Sonmez: 6-4[4], 6-4, 7-6[2]
Emma Raducanu (25) – Anastasiia Zakharova (Q): 6-1, 6-3
Amanda Anisimova (6) – Anna Blinkova: 5-7, 6-1, 6-0
Coco Gauff (4) – Komilla Rakhimova (Q): 6-3, 7-6[4]
Alex Eala (31) – Dayana Yastremska: 7-5, 4-6, 7-5
Sorana Cirstea – Diana Shnaider (21): 6-2, 7-6[1]
Linda Noskova (14) – Jessica Bouzas Maneiro: 6-3, 6-3
Talia Gibson (Q) – Ekaterina Alexandrova (11): 6-3, 7-5
Clara Tauson (17) – Yulia Putintseva: 7-6[2], 3-6, 7-6
Ajla Tomljanovic – Xinyu Wang (30): 6-3, 6-1
Jasmine Paolini (7) – Anastasia Potapova: 6-7, 6-2, 6-3
Jessica Pegula (5) – Donna Vekic (WC): Scheduled
Jelena Ostapenko (26) – Katie Volynets (WC): 6-4, 7-6[2]
Elise Mertens (22) – Cristina Bucsa: In Progress
Belinda Bencic (12) – Storm Hunter (Q): 6-3, 6-2
Madison Keys (15) – Dalayna Perry (Q): Scheduled
Sonay Kartal – Emma Navarro (20): 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
Marta Kostyuk (28) – Taylor Townsend (Q): Scheduled
Elena Rybakina (3) – Hailey Baptiste: 7-6[2], 2-6, 6-0
Mirra Andreeva (8) – Solana Sierra: 6-0, 6-0
Katerina Siniakova – Leylah Fernandez (27): In Progress
Ashlyn Krueger – Ludmilla Samsonova (19): 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Elina Svitolina (9) – Laura Siegemund: Scheduled
Karolina Muchova (13) – Anna Bondar: 7-5, 6-2
Qinwen Zheng (24) – Antonia Ruzic: In Progress
Maria Sakkari (32) – Lilli Tagger (WC): 7-5, 6-0
Iga Swiatek (2) – Kayla Day (Q): 6-0, 6-7[2], 6-1
