“It’s really nice to be back in Adelaide” – The defending champion, Jelena Ostapenko, will begin her title defense at the 2025 Adelaide International in just a few moments from now. The Latvian superstar will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the first round (R32). What did Ostapenko say about the upcoming battle? Well, during a previous interview, she said, “She’s (Frech) a good player. It’s never easy at the beginning of the season but I’ve been working hard so I’ll just try to get as many matches as possible before the AO.” Can she make a winning start to her campaign in Adelaide or will the Pole force a massive upset in this tournament?

Jelena Ostapenko vs Magdalena Frech: Preview

Jelena Ostapenko won two titles last season. The first one came at the same venue where she defeated Russia’s Daria Kasatkina by 6-3, 6 2 and the next came at the Linz Open. Apart from these, Ostapenko also reached the QF at the Italian Open and the Wimbledon Championships. Jelena Ostapenko is entering this tournament following her two-set defeat to Maris Bouzkova (CZE) in the R32 of the Brisbane International. Can she turn things around in Adelaide before taking her flight to Melbourne, though?

Time will tell! However, her opponent in this match, Magdalena Frech, also had a decent outing in 2024. She won a title at the Abierto de Guadalajara and reached the final of the Prague Open. Apart from that, she also reached the QF of multiple tournaments, but she failed to make it count on those occasions. Frech will also be eyeing for a longer stay in Adelaide, but the question of the hour is: Can she topple the defending champion?

Ostapenko vs Frech: Head-to-Head

Both these players have met only once in their careers so far. Jelena Ostapenko is currently leading the H2H scoreline by a 1-0 margin against Magdalena Frech. Who will have the last laugh in their second encounter?

Prediction: Ostapenko to win in three sets

We feel it’d be a challenging task for Magdalena Frech to outshine the defending champion in the first round of the Adelaide International. Jelena Ostapenko (17) had been the better player in the last twelve months. She had a win-loss record of 29-18 in 2024. On the other hand, Magdalena Frech (24) had a win-loss record of just 29-27. So considering all these factors and Ostapenko’s experience in this tournament, we’re keeping the Latvian ahead of the Polish star in this epic battle.

If we take a look at their playing styles, Frech is known for her aggressive style of play. She loves to dictate games from the baseline and also has some powerful groundstrokes in her armory, which keeps her opponents always on their toes. Apart from that, Magdalena Frech is also a good server. So, keeping all these things in mind, we feel this match has all the ingredients to go a little deeper.

On the other hand, Jelena Ostapenko is an aggressive baseliner with an attacking style of play. Her forehand and backhand are both hit flat, with relentless power and depth. Due to her aggressive style of play, she often accumulates significant numbers of both winners and unforced errors. Ostapenko aims to finish points quickly, either with powerful groundstrokes or deft volleys. She also tends to keep her opponents on their toes and after putting an opponent in a vulnerable position, Jelena Ostapenki regularly seeks to end the point with a cross-court forehand, a down-the-line backhand, a swinging volley, or a drop shot.

However, her major weakness in her game is her serve. Do you know she hit 4 aces and committed 12 double faults in her previous match against Bouzkova? So, Jelena Ostapenko needs to keep a check on this in her upcoming matches. Is it enough to keep the defending champion the second favorite in this battle, though? Well, not really!

How do you think the match would pan out? Let us know in the comments below!