Aryna Sabalenka vs Sara Bejlek Prediction & Picks - WTA Cincinnati Open

Prediction published on 8/19/26, 12:09 PM  by Tyler Doty in Tennis Picks

After a very strong start to the season, Aryna Sabalenka has since struggled to win new titles, largely due to a lack of mental toughness in big matches. The world No. 1 has suffered several notable setbacks: the French Open (quarterfinals), Wimbledon (round of 16), and, most recently, in Toronto (round of 16). These results fall short of what is expected of the Belarusian, who will need to bounce back to approach the US Open in better form. So far, the favorite at this WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati has had a smooth run, kicking off the tournament with two easy victories over Australia’s Talia Gibson (6-2, 7-6) and China’s Xinyu Wang (6-1, 6-3). Aryna Sabalenka’s next opponent is Sara Bejlek.

The 20-year-old Czech won her first WTA title this season (Abu Dhabi) and continues to improve week after week. The world No. 35 is having a stellar run in Cincinnati with victories that are each as convincing as the last. Her compatriots Karolina Pliskova (6-0, 6-2) and Barbora Krejcikova (7-6, 6-4) were defeated by the rising star of Czech tennis. In the previous round, the tournament’s No. 18 seed, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, ultimately fell to Sara Bejlek (4-6, 6-1, 6-2). Riding a wave of success in the United States, the Czech player now dreams of adding a victory over the world No. 1 to her list of achievements.