Jessica Pegula Faces Hailey Baptiste in Wuhan Open Showdown

WUHAN, China — Jessica Pegula, the World No. 6, takes on fellow American Hailey Baptiste in the Round of 32 at the 2025 WTA Wuhan Open on Tuesday. This match follows Pegula’s recent semifinal appearance in Beijing, where she fought hard but was ultimately defeated.

At 31, Pegula has had a stellar year, winning three titles: the ATX Open in Austin, the Charleston Open, and the Bad Homburg Open. She also reached the finals in Adelaide and Miami and is working to maintain her momentum on hard courts. Pegula boasts a solid service game, winning 76% of her service games this year and achieving a 46-18 match record.

Hailey Baptiste, 23, currently ranked World No. 55, enters this event after a strong season, including her first Round of 16 appearance at Roland Garros. Baptiste started her Wuhan campaign with a comeback victory over Ashlyn Krueger, highlighted by a 73% first serve point win.

Notably, the two players have a history, with Pegula leading their head-to-head matchups 2-0. Their most recent encounter occurred at the 2022 Citi Open. Despite Baptiste’s impressive performance in her last match, she faces a tough test against Pegula, who has proven to be a formidable competitor.

The matchup will occur at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center, and betting odds favor Pegula significantly as she is seen as a strong contender to advance. For Pegula, victory would see her progress to the pre-quarterfinals, where she would face the winner between Raducanu/Li or Alexandrova/Mboko.

Pegula’s track record and experience on hard courts present challenges for Baptiste, who will need to stay focused and capitalize on her strengths. As the match approaches, fans anticipate an exciting duel between these two talented Americans.