Match Details

Fixture: (9) Elena Rybakina vs Jaqueline Cristian

Date: July 31, 2025

Tournament: National Bank Open

Round: Third Round (Round of 32)

Venue: IGA Stadium, Montreal, Canada

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $5,152,599

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

Elena Rybakina vs Jaqueline Cristian preview

Ninth seed Elena Rybakina will continue her campaign at the Canadian Open 2025 with her third-round (Round of 32) clash set against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.

Despite having limited preparation ahead of the Australian Open, Rybakina began her season on a high note in Melbourne. She defeated Emerson Jones, Iva Jovic, and Dayana Yastremska in straight sets before suffering a 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 fourth-round loss against the eventual champion, Madison Keys.

Rybakina maintained her form over the next month, reaching the semifinals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. During this stretch, she defeated the likes of Katie Volynets, Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa, and Sofia Kenin.

Unfortunately, Rybakina’s impressive results in the first 10 weeks of the season did not translate to success at the Sunshine Double. Following a third-round loss against Mirra Andreeva in Indian Wells, Rybakina suffered a shocking 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 opening-round loss against Ashlyn Krueger in Miami.

Rybakina began her North American swing with a semifinal appearance at the Citi DC Open, suffering a 7-6(2), 6-7(3), 6-7(3) loss against Leylah Fernandez. In Montreal, she dominated Hailey Baptiste in the previous round, clinching a 6-4, 6-3 win.

Meanwhile, Cristian participated in two tournaments before the Happy Slam. However, her performance in the ASB Classic and the Adelaide International was forgettable, suffering a second-round and first-round loss, respectively.

Cristian stunned many by reaching the third round of the Australian Open. Over the next four tournaments, she maintained a 4-4 win/loss record before winning the Puerto Vallarta Open.

Montreal is Cristian’s first hard-court tournament in nearly 15 weeks, having defeated Marina Stakusic and Linda Noskova so far.

Elena Rybakina vs Jaqueline Cristian head-to-head

The head-to-head is currently tied at 1-1.

Elena Rybakina vs Jaqueline Cristian odds

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Elena Rybakina vs Jaqueline Cristian prediction

As the higher-ranked player, Rybakina comes into the match as the strong favorite. Given her overall edge over Cristian, a straight-sets victory wouldn’t be surprising.

Rybakina holds a significantly better win rate on hard courts and dominates key serving statistics. She records 61.5% first serves and 88.6% second serves, while winning 74.1% of her points on the first serve and 48% on the second serve. In contrast, Cristian records 60.1% first serves and 88.3% second serves, while winning 64% of his points on the first serve and 47.3% on the second serve.

Additionally, Rybakina has hit more aces and conceded fewer double faults.

Prediction: Rybakina to win in straight sets.