Hailey Baptiste faces a tough assignment in the first round of the French Open on Sunday as she takes on 2021 champion Barbora Krejčíková. The 30-year-old will hope to utilize her big-match experience to pull off an upset. But the American has also delivered some strong performances on clay this year, giving this all the ingredients to be a fascinating matchup.
Hailey Baptiste vs Barbora Krejčíková Match Details
Date: May 24, 2026
Tournament: French Open 2026
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Category: Grand Slam
Live Telecast: HBO Max, TNT, TSN
Baptiste vs Krejčíková Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head is locked in at 1-1 going into this match, with Baptiste triumphing in straight sets in their last meeting in 2024. But Krejčíková came out on top in their last meeting on clay, winning in three sets in 2019.
Baptiste arrives at the French Open after her impressive run in Madrid, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka, Belinda Bencic, and Jasmine Paolini en route to the semifinals. However, she followed that up with an early exit in Rome.
The lack of consistency remains a concern for Baptiste, who has a 17-12 win-loss record this year.
Krejčíková recently returned to tennis after a lengthy injury lay-off. She is a former champion in Paris and, in 2021, overcame all expectations to triumph at Roland Garros as an unseeded player.
However, it remains to be seen whether she can replicate that level. Krejčíková did make the final in Parma in the lead-up to the French Open, boosting her confidence and her 2026 win-loss record to 8-5.
Baptiste vs Krejčíková Prediction and Pick
Baptiste has the ranking advantage and will hope to build on her recent showing in Madrid. She has a dominant serve and a strong shot repertoire.
Krejčíková will hope to use her experience to pull off an upset against Baptiste. The Czech star has outperformed expectations before at Roland Garros and will hope to roll back the years against Baptiste. She has shown solid all-court skills and creative ball placement in the few matches she has played this year, winning 77.0% of the games on her serve and converting 45% of her break-point opportunities.
The key for Baptiste will be to try to utilize her aggressive approach and throw Krejčíková off her rhythm. The two players have contrasting playing styles, and whoever controls the early exchanges could go on to dominate the match.
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We believe the fine margins could prove decisive in this contest, and Baptiste’s stronger recent form will help her claim a hard-fought win.
Pick – Baptiste in three sets.