Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Preview
It has been nearly two years since they faced off, but Rybakina and Badosa have a long and competitive history, dating back to 2018. They’ve played seven times, and four of those matches have gone the distance. Badosa leads 4-3, but Rybakina won their two most recent meetings.
When Badosa was ascending in 2021 and 2022, she tended to come out on top, and the reverse was true when Rybakina became a dominant force in 2023. Now, finally, they’re both playing at a high level at the same time. Badosa reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, while Rybakina made the semis in Abu Dhabi and gave Iga Swiatek a good run last week in Doha.
Who has the advantage when these two are at full strength? Badosa is the better athlete, while Rybakina wins more free points on her her serve and can generate more pace overall. Both can have their off days, but I’ll take the bigger hitter over the faster mover here.—Steve Tignor
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