Naomi Osaka vs Elena Rybakina Prediction & Picks - WTA National Bank Open

Prediction published on 8/10/26, 4:38 AM  by Bradley Gibbs | Modified on 8/10/26 at 4:47 AM in Tennis Picks

Two of the big dogs will lock horns at the Canadian Open on Tuesday, when Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina will clash for the first time as professionals. These two players have won six Grand Slam titles between them, so we're talking about two of the best current WTA players, which means that this is far from an easy match to call. However, right now, Osaka looks in slightly better form than Rybakina.

It's never easy to go against someone like Elena Rybakina, who is a fantastic player and a serious warrior. However, on this occasion, we could argue that Naomi Osaka, who is also a wonderfully gifted player, should be slightly more favored by the early market. After all, Osaka is loving the conditions in Toronto, where she really does appear to be at the top of her game. In contrast, Rybakina showed a few cracks in her armor last time out, needing three sets against the lower-ranked Liudmila Samsonova. Unless she improves on that effort, she could struggle against the player who reached the final of this event a year ago.