Belinda Bencic vs Elina Svitolina Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Dubai Tennis Championships

Prediction published on 17/02/2026, 16:18  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 18/02/2026 at 09:10 in Tennis Predictions

Ninth seed Belinda Bencic and seventh seed Elina Svitolina will face off in the third round at the Dubai Tennis Championship. This is a battle of former Dubai champions, and the winner will play Elena Rybakina or Antonia Ruzic in the quarter-finals. Read on for our prediction of this match.

Bencic was handed a walkover in the second round by the wildcard Sara Bejlek. The Swiss star, who won the Dubai Championship back in 2019, had fought her way from a first-set loss in the first round against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

She has now won seven of eight matches in 2026 and has moved up to 12th in the live ranking. Bencic won the first two meetings with Svitolina.

Elina Svitolina won back-to-back championships in Dubai in 2017 and 2018. She was a semi-finalist the year Bencic was crowned champion, but since then, hasn’t progressed past the third round.

The Ukrainian, who is having an exciting season, will be eager to avoid another early exit. Svitolina, who received a bye to the second round as she started her week, defeated Paula Badosa in straight sets.

She had won the first set before Badosa pulled out injured at the start of the second. She has now won 12 of 14 fixtures, and this form has allowed her to return to the WTA top 10. The world number nine has won the last three meetings with Bencic.