After a minor break, Aryna Sabalenka is coming back to the courts with a pretty tough matchup at the 2024 Dubai Championships.
The last time Sabalenka stood on a tennis court was in Melbourne, where she steamrolled past everyone to win her second Grand Slam trophy. She took a break after that, skipped a few events, and now looks excited to be back on the courts in Dubai.
Her first match will be against Donna Vekic, a player she's quite familiar with. Vekic has been really solid this year with some good performances, but traditionally, they are very up and down. She won't be an easy matchup for Sabalenka, given their past.
Head-to-head:
Vekic has actually been the much better player in this matchup, leading Sabalenka 5-2 overall. Some of those wins were pretty big, such as the one at the Tokyo Olympics, but the last match was won by Sabalenka.
It was at the 2023 Australian Open, and it was a pretty easy win for Sabalenka, 6-3, 6-2. This new version of Sabalenka had no issues against Vekic in the only match they played since she raised her level. The old version likely would have struggled here, but as we can see, it should be smooth.
| Donna Vekic | Aryna Sabalenka | |
| 5 | H2H | 2 |
| 31 | Rank | 2 |
| 27 | Age | 25 |
| 5-3 | 2024 W/L | 11-1 |
| 373-269 | Career W/L | 329-155 |
Prediction:
There are some concerns, considering that Sabalenka hasn't played in a while, but I don't think it will be a huge issue. Sure, she can struggle a bit to start the match, but eventually, I do expect her to find her rhythm, and once she does, this match will be smooth sailing.
I just don't see Vekic being able to out outlast Sabalenka's relentless power.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in two sets.
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