Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa Prediction 2/19/25 Dubai Tennis Picks

Elena Rybakina and Paula Badosa meet in the third round of the 2025 WTA Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Here’s our Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa prediction. This preview will also include an Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa pick.

Elena Rybakina Preview

Elena Rybakina defeated Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets. The match took 17 games to decide and an hour and six minutes of play.

In the victory, Rybakina hit 23 winners and 31 unforced errors. The sixth seed hammered seven aces and two double faults.

She landed 59% of first serve points (32/54) and won 81% of first serve points (26/32).

Rybakina won 59% of second serve points and saved both break points on her serve. She won 39% of return points (17/44) and broke Uchijima three times in the match.

Rybakina will attempt to reach the last eight in Dubai for the second year in a row.

Paula Badosa Preview

Paula Badosa is coming off a straight sets win over unseeded Belgian Elise Mertens. Badosa won 6-2, 6-1 in an hour and five minutes of play.

In the victory, Badosa tallied 22 winners and 12 unforced errors. That included four aces and two double faults. Badosa landed 63% of first serves in play and won 87% of first serve points (26/30).

Badosa won 56% of second serve points (10/18) and saved one break point on her serve.

The Spaniard won 58% of return points (22/38) and broke Mertens four times. 

Badosa had never won a match in Dubai in three tries. This week, she’s won two and is on the cusp of a quarterfinal spot.

Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa Head-To-Head

• Rybakina and Badosa have met seven times on the WTA level.

• Badosa leads 4-3 but has lost their last two meetings on hard courts.

• This will be their first clash in two years.

Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa Prediction

Rybakina is not letting off-court issues distract her. She lost just five games in a very clinical opening win against Uchijima. But Badosa will be a major challenge in the third round. The Spaniard is a sharp mover on the court and can also strike the ball with devastating precision. But my fear is when she gets bogged down by so many unforced errors once Rybakina gets free swings on second serves and they land so deep in the court. We shouldn’t also forget that this Badosa run in Dubai might be a false dawn. She’s often struggled to play her best tennis in this part of the continent and hadn’t won a match before this year. That aside, Rybakina is the favorite to progress. That effortless power on serve will set the tone for an important win. Give me Rybakina in three.