Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina Prediction 6/16/25 WTA Berlin Tennis Picks

Qinwen Zheng and Elena Rybakina meet in the first round of the 2025 WTA Berlin Tennis Open in Germany. The match is scheduled for Monday, June 16. Here’s our Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina prediction. This preview will also include a Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina pick.

Qinwen Zheng Preview

Qinwen Zheng is the No. 5 seed at the WTA Berlin Tennis Open. This will be her appearance in this WTA 500 tournament. She was knocked out in the first round as a novice in 2022 and 2023, but reached the last 16 when she competed last year. Zheng started her grass swing in London, competing in the inaugural Queen’s Championships. She earned wins over McCartney Kessler and Emma Raducanu before losing to Amanda Anisimova in the semifinal.

Overall, Zheng has a 5-9 record on grass in her pro career. That semifinal run at Queen’s was her best result on the surface. She had won just three matches before that. Zheng has a 19-10 record in 2025. She has reached the quarterfinals or better in each of her last three tournaments. 

Elena Rybakina Preview

Elena Rybakina is unseeded at the WTA Berlin Tennis Open. Rybakina will make her fourth appearance in this tournament. She reached the round of 16 in her first two appearances but served up her best result last year when she made the quarters. Rybakina was forced to retire with an injury when she played in Berlin 12 months ago.

The Kazakh started her grass campaign at Queen’s in London. She was a quarterfinalist. Rybakina beat Heather Watson in her opening match but suffered a surprise defeat in the quarterfinal to Tatjana Maria. Rybakina has compiled a 27-11 record, winning her only WTA title in Strasbourg just before the French Open. Rybakina has lost once in the opening match of a tournament this season.

Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina Head-To-Head

Zheng and Rybakina have played three times on the WTA level. Rybakina leads 2-1 in the series. She won their only match on grass at 2022 Wimbledon – the year she won her first Grand Slam.

Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina Prediction

It’s only in a stacked WTA 500 event that you get to see two Top 15 players clash in the first round. I mean, this is the kind of matchup that could easily headline the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Zheng has improved considerably since playing Rybakina at 2022 Wimbledon, carrying herself with the belief of a Top 10 player. She’s got that blend of athleticism and power that makes her dangerous on any surface. But I still think grass favors Rybakina’s style in a way that Zheng hasn’t quite matched or reached. Rybakina has so much more control in her service games, and that tends to put constant scoreboard pressure on her opponents. I’m rolling with Rybakina here.

Nur Said's Pick: Elena Rybakina in three sets