Retail Therapy Working for Hailey Baptiste

She calls it an “addiction” but maybe Hailey Baptiste’s love for shopping would be better described as therapy. Life on the WTA Tour is tough, with all its pressures and obligations, why shouldn’t the American be able to unwind by tending to her passion for clothing, shoes and jewelry?

Well, even she admits it is becoming a little extreme.

“I’ve got a pretty packed room, but I think, yeah, I shop a lot,” she said during a press conference after saving two match points to defeat Barbora Krejcikova, when asked what were her favorite pick-ups from her trip to Paris. “I would say the favorite thing that I got, I got a new bracelet and a new necklace. Those are probably my two favorite things.

“And a bunch of clothes. Some of them I don’t even remember buying, so it’s like a surprise when I open up some of the suitcases. Like, oh, I do remember getting this.

“Yeah, I have an addiction, so…”

Recently, Baptiste did a video interview with the Changeover podcast and gave the boys a glimpse of just how many suitcases she had in her hotel room.

Baptiste says she has status with United, so taking home all her finds is not as difficult as it might seem for a mere civilian.

“I really get status on United, so I get three free bags up to 70 pounds for me, plus everybody who is travelling to me.”

Nike Deal

One welcome development for Baptiste is the fact that she secured a deal with Nike for apparel. That should make it easier on her wallet.

“I actually didn’t have any kind of deal with them before. I was just buying clothes,” she said. “When Frances was with Nike, I would use his account to get some clothes. It’s just a brand that I really love and I’ve always worn since I was younger. It’s just what I was comfortable in.

“Being with them officially now is very special to me, and it’s something — it was a big goal of mine this year that I worked for it, and I earned it. So I’m really happy about it.”