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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Elena Rybakina vs Caty McNally
Date: September 26, 2025
Tournament: China Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: National Tennis Center, Beijing, China
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $8,963,700
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Elena Rybakina vs Caty McNally preview
Eighth seed Elena Rybakina will face off against unseeded Caty McNally in the second round of the 2025 China Open in Beijing on Friday, September 26.
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Rybakina has put together a strong season overall, though consistency has been an issue at times. Her biggest highlight came in Strasbourg, where she lifted the title with a win over Liudmila Samsonova in the final. That remains her only trophy of the year, but she has made deep runs with semifinals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with quarterfinals at the HSBC Championships, Qatar Open, and more.
The Kazakh heads into Beijing looking to rebound from a disappointing fourth-round exit at the US Open, where she was upset by Mirra Andreeva. This will be her first event of the Asian hardcourt swing, and she arrives with confidence from a strong summer that included back-to-back semifinal showings at the Citi Open, Canadian Open, and Cincinnati Open.
Meanwhile, McNally is still searching for her big breakthrough on the main tour despite having been around for a while. 2025 has been an up-and-down season for her, with the highlight being a title run at the WTA 125K in Newport, though it did not count toward her main tour record.
The American endured a disappointing North American hardcourt swing, failing to win a title or even reach a singles quarterfinal. Her Asian campaign began at the Korea Open, where she exited in the Round of 32 in singles, though she did capture the doubles title. She kicked off her run in Beijing with a solid 6-4, 6-2 win against Laura Siegemund in the first round.
Elena Rybakina vs Caty McNally head-to-head
This will be the duo’s second meeting on the WTA Tour, as they have faced each other once before, with McNally holding a 1-0 head-to-head advantage. Rybakina retired in Charleston in 2021 after losing the first set, giving McNally a walkover.
Elena Rybakina vs Caty McNally odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Elena Rybakina vs Caty McNally prediction
Rybakina opens her China Open campaign with a second-round test against America’s Caty McNally, and on paper, the eighth seed comes in as the clear favorite.
Rybakina’s booming serve, flat groundstrokes, and effortless power off both wings make her one of the most dangerous players on hard courts. If she settles quickly into her rhythm, she can control play behind her first strike and keep rallies short, forcing McNally to react rather than dictate.
McNally, known for her doubles prowess and solid net instincts, will look to mix things up with variety and keep the Kazakh out of her comfort zone. However, sustaining that plan over the course of a match against Rybakina’s firepower is a steep challenge.
Unless the former Wimbledon champion struggles with her accuracy or has a dip in intensity, it’s difficult to see her being pushed too far here. If Rybakina serves well and keeps her unforced errors down, she should book her spot in the third round with minimal fuss.
Pick: Rybakina to win in straight sets
