Fasten your seatbelts! The defending champion, Elena Rybakina is all set to take on the 2023 winner, Belinda Bencic in the SF of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open in just a few moments from now. Rybakina is entering this match following her hard-fought victory against Ons Jabeur in the previous round. Speaking after the grueling battle, the Kazakhstani said, “It was extremely difficult. Ons played really well. We played so close every game. I’m really happy I managed to win.” Now, the question is: Can Bencic throw up a similar challenge towards the defending champion and become a major hindrance in her path to two successive title triumphs in Abu Dhabi?

Elena Rybakina vs Belinda Bencic: Preview

Elena Rybakina started the 2024 season with a title triumph in Brisbane and after that, she also reached the QF in Adelaide before clinching the title at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open. In the final match in Brisbane, she defeated Russia’s Daria Kasatkina by 6-1,6-4. Apart from that, Elena Rybakina also reached the finals at the Qatar Open and the Miami Open. She won her second title of the 2024 season in Stuttgart and made it to the semis in Madrid and at the Wimbledon Championships last year. However, Rybakina didn’t have a great start to her season in 2025! She got eliminated from the 2025 AO in the R4, but she seems to have got her rhythm back in Abu Dhabi.

Rybakina won her first match against America’s Katie Volynets by three sets and followed that with yet another 6-2,4-6,7-6(4) victory over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the QF.

On the other hand, Belinda Bencic made a comeback to competitive tennis after a long gap in October 2024. After making her return, Bencic took part in an ITF event in Hamburg and then she also reached the QF at the W75 Petange 003. Belinda Bencic even made it to the final of the WTA 125 Angers, FR in the last season.

In this season though, she looked pretty much ordinary in the Australian swing, but in Abu Dhabi, she is already on a three-match winning streak. Bencic defeated Czech star, Marketa Vondrousova in the QF by 7-5,6-3. What will be the scoreline in the SF?

Rybakina vs Bencic: Head-to-Head

Elena Rybakina and the Swiss superstar, Belinda Bencic have faced each other twice in their careers so far. Currently, their H2H record is well poised at 1-1!

• 2021 Chicago 500 QF: Rybakina 6-4,3-1 (retd.)
• 2021 Olympics SF: Bencic 7-6(2),4-6,6-3.

Prediction: Rybakina to win in straight sets

Belinda Bencic has won five WTA 500 titles in her career so far and her last one came in Abu Dhabi in 2023. So, the Swiss will be hoping to win her first title as a mother, but defeating Elena Rybakina here will be a mammoth task. Despite suffering from injuries, Elena Rybakina managed to put up a decent performance in the 2024 season. If we look at the numbers, Rybakina (5) had a win-loss record of 43-13, but this season her win-loss record is 8-2 as of now. On the other hand, Belinda Bencinc (157) didn’t play too many matches on the main Tour last season, but her win-loss record in this season is currently 8-3.

Talking about their playing styles, Belinda Bencic has an all-court game and she loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Bencic understands the game really well and she knows exactly how to throw the other player off during the match. She possesses a strong first-serve, but her second-serve is generally on the weaker side. Bencic often tends to commit a significant number of double faults during her matches. For example, she hit only one ace against Marketa Vondrousova in the previous match but committed four double faults. Bencic can also swiftly turn defense into offense. So Elena Rybakina needs to be a bit watchful of her incredible lob and drop-shots.

Elena Rybakina is an aggressive baseliner who often aims to finish points quickly and whose high-risk game style can at times lead to an accumulation of both winners and unforced errors. She can generate effortless power, both on groundstrokes and her serve. Elena Rybakina’s forehand and backhand are both hit flat with relentless depth and speed, allowing her to generate some raw power with both her groundstrokes. If Rybakina keeps things tidy in this match, things could get wrapped up pretty quickly. The prediction is for Rybakina to win in straight sets.