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CITI OPEN

July 30, 2019

Hailey Baptiste

Washington D.C.

H. BAPTISTE/M. Keys

7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. At the end of the match looked like Madison give you a head rub or something like that. What did she say to you? What is your relationship like with her?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: Well, we both train a lot in Orlando at USTA. I mean, I always see her on campus. She's somebody I've always looked up to. I guess it was kind of like a big sister kind of rub.

Q. This was your first WTA match win, is that right?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yeah.

Q. What was it like? You had the crowd on your side. You're from Washington, D.C. But what was it like to have that atmosphere?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I don't know, it felt really good. Like, half of the match I couldn't even feel my legs. Like, I don't know. I really can't describe what it felt like. But it was amazing, like, having everybody in the crowd cheering for me.

I knew every other person in the crowd, so it felt really good.

Q. What were you able to do well today? What do you think you capitalized on?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I think, like, my mind, I was really focused. I didn't let anything get to my head. I just played my game and played within myself.

Q. First time getting to see you for a lot of us. Could you talk through your tennis background, being from D.C., where and when you started playing? Short version of your life story basically here, tennis life story.
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I started playing when I was about four years old. I started training here. I played here. This is my first-ever tennis academy, going anywhere to get a lesson or anything. I played here for a couple years. Then I started training at JTCC, 20 minutes from here in College Park, Maryland. I recently a couple years ago moved to Orlando to train at the USTA.

So that's how my tennis story goes.

Q. You were with the Washington Tennis Education Foundation here?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: Yes.

Q. With Coco's run recently, Caty is playing now, you're a couple years up on them, but the three of you have come up together. What has that been like going through a new experience with your peers? How do you feed off of each other and drive each other?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I mean, we all train together, like, throughout the year. We all know each other really well. We're pretty good friends with each other. We all want each other to do well.

It's always motivation when your peers are doing well. You want to compete against them. You also want them to do well. But it's always good competition. Something to drive you.

Q. Did Coco's run at Wimbledon give you a little confidence, even just watching?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I mean, yeah, it was really cool to see her do so well on such a big stage against all the best players. Obviously that gives her a lot of confidence. Knowing she's one of my peers, it gives me confidence, too.

Q. Coco said in her press conference she was going to watch the end of your match. Have you talked to her at all?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I saw her, like, briefly just after my match. Just gave each other a quick high five. She said, Congrats. She's like family, so we know each other pretty well.

Q. A local question. What neighborhood did you grow up in D.C.?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: Northwest D.C. I literally live on Kennedy Street, like five minutes away.

Q. What schools did you go to?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I went to Shepherd Elementary. Now I'm home-schooled. I've been home-schooled since I was in, like, fourth grade, yeah.

Q. How much time do you spend in D.C. during the year?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: Not enough. Maybe a couple weeks out of the year.

Q. You really are giving us your life story. How often have you come to this tournament? You're local. I'm assuming you've come to this tournament as a fan. What is your history, relationship with the tournament?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I've been coming to this tournament since I was, like, training here. I guess since I was five years old. I used to always sneak in. I never really bought tickets. I'd sneak in behind the back fences. I knew some of the people that worked here. They let me in the back gates.

I've been coming here since it was Legg Mason, and there were no women playing. So it's really cool to get a chance to play on the same stage.

Q. What drew you to tennis first? Obviously you were a few blocks away. What brought you here, if you remember?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I mean, I grew up just playing around with my dad. We just hit around a little bit. I don't know. He wasn't good enough for me any more, so I needed somebody a little better (laughter).

Q. Is he still coaching you?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: No. No way (laughter).

Q. Who are you working with now? Who is on your team?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I've been working with Chani Anderson a lot. Here I'm working with Kathy Rinaldi. I've been working with her the last two weeks. Joey Burkhardt. Yeah, those are the main people I've been working with lately.

Q. I think you're playing stadium court tomorrow night versus Mladenovic. What do you think of that match? What do you think of playing on the stadium court tomorrow night?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I'm just going to go and play my game, try to be as relaxed as possible, just not think too much about who I'm playing or where I am. Just be myself.

Q. For all the time you spent at the tournament as a kid, any particular match or players that you stand out in your memory that you remember seeing?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I always liked to watch Gael Monfils. He was always exciting to watch always. I always would watch his matches, try to get his autograph afterwards.

Then a really close friend of mine, like a brother, Frances Tiafoe, has been playing the last few years. I always come out to watch him.

Q. Did you succeed in getting Gael Monfils' autograph?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I did.

Q. How many times?
HAILEY BAPTISTE: I can't count really. I've got a tennis ball with like everybody's autograph from a couple years ago, but yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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