It has all come down to the last 16 at Wimbledon, and only the best names in the tournament remain now. With the hunger to reach the title growing with each passing day, the players are determined to do whatever it takes to advance. One of those stars is Paula Badosa. Having faced significant challenges, she has shown character throughout the event and reached the last 16. With nothing but the title in her sights, she aims to progress further in the tournament.

However, her path to the top won’t be easy at all. Standing in her way in the round of 16 will be Croatian tennis beauty Donna Vekic. With the stage set for an epic showdown, only one of these stars will advance. But who will it be?

Paula Badosa vs Donna Vekic: Preview

Paula Badosa’s form and ranking have declined due to multiple recent injuries. Despite this, she reached the third round of both Majors this year, losing to Amanda Ansimova at the Australian Open and Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open.

At the Bad Homburg Open, Badosa made it to the quarterfinals before losing to champion Diana Shnaider. At Wimbledon, she achieved straight-sets victories over Karolina Muchova and Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first two rounds. Her biggest win came in the third round, where she defeated 14th-seeded Daria Kasatkina in three tight sets.

On the other hand, Donna Vekic’s 2024 season has been inconsistent. She reached the semifinals of the Linz Open and the quarterfinals of the San Diego Open but mostly faced early-round exits. Before Wimbledon, Vekic played in three grass-court events. She was eliminated in the second rounds of the Libema Open and the Berlin Ladies Singles but reached the final of the Bad Homburg Open, losing to Daria Shnaider in three sets.

At Wimbledon, Vekic came from a set down to win against Wang Xiyu in the first round, won comfortably against Erika Andreeva in the second, and defeated 28th-seeded Dayana Yastremska 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 6-1 in the third round.

Badosa vs Vekic: Head-to-head

When it comes to the head-to-head stats between the two players, nothing is available as they have yet to face each other in their careers. Their meeting at Wimbledon will be their first-ever encounter. With both players in red-hot form, who will emerge victorious?

Prediction: Paula Badosa to clinch the win in a hard-fought battle

Predicting a winner for this match won’t be easy. Both players have shown brilliant mentality throughout the event. However, Paula Badosa enters the match as the favorite. Nonetheless, she still needs to work on aspects like her serve and unforced errors.

On the other hand, Donna Vekic has also struggled with unforced errors and will need to improve to stand a chance against her Spanish rival. With the stage set for an epic encounter, who will advance to the final 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!