Karolina Pliskova vs Sara Bejlek Prediction 6/16/2026 Today’s Tennis Picks

Former champion Karolina Pliskova faces fellow Czech Sara Bejlek in the first round of the 2026 Nottingham Open. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16. Here’s our Karolina Pliskova vs Sara Bejlek prediction. This preview will also include a Karolina Pliskova vs Sara Bejlek pick.

Karolina Pliskova vs Sara Bejlek Preview

Karolina Pliskova is making her third visit to Nottingham, ranked 87th in the world rankings. Pliskova has a phenomenal record competing in this tournament in the past. She won it on debut in 2016, dropping just one set. And in her second appearance in 2024, she reached the final, losing out to home player Katie Boulter.

At 34, Pliskova returns to Nottingham as one of the veterans in the sport. The big-serving Czech has compiled 16 wins and 8 losses in 2026, with the majority of her wins coming on clay. Pliskova kicked off her grass-court season at Queen’s Club this past week, tallying wins over McCartney Kessler and Victoria Mboko (retirement). She was knocked out in the quarterfinal stage by the eventual champion Donna Vekic.

Sara Bejlek is ranked 47th in the world rankings. At one point this season, Bejlek broke into the Top 40 for the first time after winning a maiden WTA title on the hard courts in Abu Dhabi. Bejlek has since battled recurring injury setbacks in the months after that breakthrough week in the Middle East, and she has won just three main draw matches since mid February.

Last week, Bejlek began her grass-court campaign at the Libema Open in Den Bosch, but lost heavily against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. Bejlek has a lifetime record of 1-5 on grass on the pro tour. That win came in the qualifying rounds of the 2024 Berlin Open, where she defeated Ekaterina Makarova.

Karolina Pliskova vs Sara Bejlek Head-To-Head

Pliskova and Bejlek have never met at any level, so this will be their first career meeting.

Karolina Pliskova vs Sara Bejlek Prediction

I have to take Pliskova to win this outright. Bejlek is inexperienced on grass, with just a handful of appearances at the top level on this surface. Pliskova, by contrast, shines on grass, having won this tournament once in the past and reaching the final in her last visit. And even at 34, this is a surface where the Czech won’t necessarily need to overexert herself to win points. And she’s got a huge advantage with that powerful serve up her sleeve.

Nur Said's Pick: Pliskova in straight sets