Madrid Open 2024: Maria Sakkari vs Sloane Stephens preview, head-to-head, prediction, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (6) Maria Sakkari vs Sloane Stephens

Date: April 27, 2024

Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open

Round: Third Round (Round of 32)

Venue: La Caja Majica, Madrid, Spain

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: €7,877,020

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

---

Maria Sakkari vs Sloane Stephens preview

The third round of the 2024 Madrid Open will see Maria Sakkari lock horns with Sloane Stephens in an exciting battle.

Sakkari, the sixth seed at this year’s tournament, has found renewed vigour with new coach David Witt. After enduring a rough few months, she made the final at Indian Wells with wins over Caroline Garcia, Emma Navarro and Coco Gauff to show for.

On clay, she reached semifinal at Charleston, improving her win-loss for the season to 15-7. The Greek also looked solid in her opening-round encounter, coming through unscathed 6-3, 6-2.

Stephens has already played two three-setters in Madrid

Stephens’ equally solid 17-9 win-loss for the season has seen her win a title in Rouen, where she posted wins over the likes of Garcia, Magda Linette and Karolina Pliskova.

In fact, with her two match wins in Madrid — both three-set battles against Elise Merterns and Martina Trevisan — the American is now on a seven-match winning streak. Needless to say, she will come into the third-round contest high on confidence.

---

Maria Sakkari vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head

Sakkari leads Stephens in their current head-to-head 1-0, having beaten her in their only previous meeting at Toronto in 2022.

---

Maria Sakkari vs Sloane Stephens odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Maria Sakkari	-150
Sloane Stephens	+115

(Odds sourced from BetMGM)

---

Maria Sakkari vs Sloane Stephens prediction

Sakkari is the favorite to win on paper

Neither Maria Sakkari nor Sloane Stephens possesses the most explosive of game. Instead, they rely on steady work from the baseline to win points.

Sakarri, in particular, is often guilty of being too passive in matches, but she has begun changing her style and taking more initiative in rallies.

Nonetheless, she thrives in slower, heavier conditions, as evident from her run at Indian Wells. Balls tend to fly much faster through the air in Madrid, and she will need to do her bit to adjust.

Stephens has been on a bit of a roll since Rouen and will look to continue doing much of what she has been doing — adjusting to each new match-up and finding solutions in real time.

Her last two opponents have given her good practice for what’s to come, as both Merterns and Trevisan play the counterpunching brand of tennis, not much different from Sakkari. And seeing the results, one has to give an edge to Stephens in this one.

Prediction: Stephens to win in three sets