Hailey Baptiste has officially arrived on the big stage. After a stunning run to the semifinals in Madrid, the 24-year-old American is turning heads and climbing the WTA rankings at a rapid pace. Her impressive performance—which included a jaw-dropping quarterfinal victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka—has boosted her seven spots to a career-high No. 25. Along the way, Baptiste also defeated top talents like Jasmine Paolini and Belinda Bencic before falling to Mirra Andreeva. Now, as she prepares for the Italian Open, the big question on everyone's mind is just how high she can go.

Former tennis star John Isner recently shared his thoughts on Baptiste’s potential during an appearance on the Nothing Major Show. While he stopped short of predicting a top-10 breakthrough this year, he had plenty of praise for the rising star. "Not yet in my mind," Isner said when asked if she could crack the top 10. "She is up to 25 in the world. She has a big game, has a lot of swag. Most important, she has the belief now. When you beat the most dominant player in women’s tennis, I don’t care what the surface is, that is going to give you a lot of confidence."

Isner highlighted Baptiste’s newfound mental toughness, especially during her epic battle with Sabalenka. "She came through in the clutch so well in that match—to save six match points is extraordinary," he noted. "In the last couple of years, she has not shown that level, but now she has. She is young and has a lot of runway ahead of her." He also praised her powerful game and vibrant personality, adding, "She hits such a big ball from the back of the court. She’s very good, and it’s awesome to see. She has a lot of personality as well."

While Isner isn't ready to predict a top-10 finish just yet, he’s confident Baptiste is on the rise. "She looks to me to be a top 20 player for sure, and that’s really cool, because she was not on anyone’s radar prior to this year," he said. With a 16-11 record this season and a maiden career title looking increasingly within reach, Baptiste has plenty of momentum heading into the Italian Open. She’ll have a first-round bye before facing either Yuliia Starodubtseva or a qualifier in round two. With her powerful game and newfound confidence, Baptiste is proving that American tennis has another exciting name to watch.