Elena Rybakina Opens Cincinnati Run Against Renata Zarazua

Cincinnati, Ohio — Ninth seed Elena Rybakina begins her Cincinnati Open 2025 campaign against unseeded Renata Zarazua in the second round on August 9. Rybakina enters the match after enjoying a first-round bye, while Zarazua defeated Yulia Putintseva in a surprising three-set match.

Rybakina’s season has been a rollercoaster, featuring highs and lows. She captured the Strasbourg trophy with a tough three-set win over Liudmila Samsonova and reached the semifinals in multiple tournaments, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Washington, and Montreal. Her latest appearance in Montreal ended in disappointment when she lost to Victoria Mboko in a tense three-set encounter.

Despite the ups and downs, Rybakina’s statistics remain impressive. She boasts 307 aces and a 73.3% first-serve win rate across 51 matches this year.

On the other hand, Zarazua is enjoying her best singles season yet, making the second round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, although she faced early exits in several other tournaments. This year, she has recorded 13 aces in 18 matches and won 55.5% of her first serve points.

The two players have not faced each other before, and expectations lean toward Rybakina’s powerful serve and baseline play giving her an advantage from the outset. While Zarazua’s counterpunching style may pose some challenges, Rybakina is viewed as the favorite to win in straight sets.

Betting odds favor Rybakina at 1/14, while Zarazua sits at 15/2, indicating that the Mexican will need a flawless performance to compete effectively against the Kazakh.