MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 19, 2025

Hailey Baptiste

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Hailey, welcome home to D.C. How are you feeling ahead of the tournament start?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, super excited to be back home. I have been here for, like, a week now, just seeing all my family and friends. Super refreshing after being in Europe for such a long time. Really excited to kick off the tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What has been the level of excitement among people you're coming back to after everything you did in Europe, the successful slams you had there? What has the reception been? I hope people are pretty proud of you.

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, it's been amazing. Obviously all my friends and family have been watching from back home, and so when I saw them, I mean, everybody, they have been so, you know, welcoming and just congratulating me. Obviously that feels really good.

Mark put my picture up on the stadium here, which is amazing. Just being a young kid, coming and watching the tournament, seeing that as you grow up, and to be one of the faces on the stadium is incredible.

Q. I want to ask you about the success you have enjoyed this year specifically. Maybe to an extent it felt inevitable, you were trending that way, but what ultimately allowed to you enjoy the success you have had? And what gives you the confidence that it is sustainable and you can continue further along this trend?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, I just think I have a different belief in myself now, a true belief in myself. It's obviously showing, and I've got a great team with me. Yeah, I think I can definitely continue to do what I'm doing now and get better.

Q. What do you remember from watching the Kastles as a kid? What did it mean to you to see Serena and Venus having that kind of success?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: It's funny, literally two nights ago I was watching a video, because I went to the Kastles one year with the WTEF, and I got to play doubles with Venus there. I think I was four or five years old.

So, yeah, that was crazy that that happened (smiling). Could maybe happen in the future again.

Q. Last time I saw you was in Charleston, and you were outside of the top 50, about to go to Europe. You had all that success, and now you're in the top 50. Have expectations changed at all, or is it just incremental?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: No, I mean, expectations are going to stay the same, because when I was 150, 100, I still had the same goals and expectations for myself. So I think everything in that is going to stay the same, and obviously I'm just pushing for more.

Q. What does this tournament mean to you? Is there a lot of pressure on you to perform well in front of your hometown?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, I mean, it's probably my favorite week out of the year. Growing up, I think I have been at this tournament every single year it's been played. It means a lot, for sure.

I wouldn't say so much that there is pressure, but of course I want to win and do really well at my home tournament. That's obviously an amazing thing for the fans, as well. I think it's just something that everybody wants (smiling).

Q. You mentioned also kind of seeing your photo up on the stadium there. What was that like as you maybe thought about when you have been here yourself growing up to then see your face up there?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, I mean, just a full-circle moment, like that wall I used to hit on for hours when I was a kid, and I have a really good relationship with Mark. So I know he knows how much that means to me. Yeah, I'm really thankful to him for doing that.

Q. You mentioned Venus. She's back playing. First tournament for her in more than a year. Would you like to get to play her? I don't think you have played her before. Would you like to get to play her?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, I have never played her, but yeah, I mean, I have had several practices with her, so stepping on the court in any capacity is obviously an honor.

Q. What do you think of her being back and still being on tour? A lot of people weren't expecting her to come back this year. How do you feel seeing her back on the court and in the draw again?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: I think it's amazing. I'm super excited to see what she's gonna do. Obviously it's impressive to be able to be at this level at that age. I have a ton of respect for her, somebody I have looked up to my entire life. It's exciting.

Q. How do you feel your game is right now, and how do you plan on preparing for the US Open?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, so this is the first tournament on the hard-court swing, getting ready for the Open. Luckily it's at home.

I'm just gonna continue to do the same things I have been doing throughout the entire year. You know, working hard on the practice court, getting to the gym, and getting my mind ready for US Open, which is obviously the home slam.

Q. Are there any specific parts, maybe physically or mentally, that you're kind of focusing on right now?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: I think always trying to get fitter. I think you can never be too fit. So just trying to get fitter. Mentally, I have been around my family a lot more the last couple of weeks, so that's definitely going to help me. Yeah, pretty much everything is going to stay the same.

Q. I saw you're participating in the draw ceremony later on. Are you a player who you don't mind you'll see the whole draw, study the draw?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: I hate looking at the draw. I usually never do. They want me there, it's my home tournament, so I'll do it today.

Q. So you're going to suck it up?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah.

Q. Last time I saw you, you said you wanted to start vlogging, and we see a lot of players now who have vlogs, and they're showing us a little bit more behind the scenes. Are you still planning on doing that?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, I'm hoping to maybe start doing that. I did a little vlog for WTA at Wimbledon and people really liked it. Maybe I'll try to put out some more of those in the near future.

Q. Given the amount of times you have now played here, is it different, is it the same? How is it returning as opposed to earlier in your career where, I don't know if you were wide-eyed, but what's the difference now as opposed to years ago?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah, I'm obviously a bit more known now, but I still get the same feeling that I got when I was a little kid coming here. It just feels like a family tournament and just always so, so excited to be here.

Q. New this year at the tournament, a wildcard, Victoria Mboko. You played her at Wimbledon. She's kind of introducing herself to fans across the world. What are some takeaways or some things about her that you could share with us?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: Super-nice girl, obviously young, coming onto the tour. We had a great battle in Wimbledon the third round. It's great that she's had so much success at a young age, and she's climbing up in the rankings very fast. I think that she's going to be really good.

Q. Are you still staying -- I know you grew up blocks away from here. Can you, like, walk here?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: I stay at the Salamander now just because I'm a little bit too comfortable if I'm staying at home, so I need to be in that hotel room with just the bed and the TV.

Q. Still have family right here?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: All my family still lives here, yeah, across the street.

Q. Just a detail with your upbringing here. WTEF and the JTCC, did you play both or lean more to one?

HAILEY BAPTISTE: So I started at WTEF my first year, two years, and then I went to JTCC when I was around six. Yeah.