Dubai Tennis Championships 2025: Paula Badosa vs Elise Mertens preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: [9] Paula Badosa vs Elise Mertens

Date: February 19, 2025

Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships 2025

Round: Second Round (Round of 32)

Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $3,654,963

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

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Paula Badosa vs Elise Mertens preview

Elise Mertens has reached two singles finals already in 2025 (Source: Getty)

Ninth seed Paula Badosa will take on Belgium's Elise Mertens for a place in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday (February 19).

Badosa has enjoyed a good season on the WTA Tour this year. After a slow start Down Under, the Spaniard reached her maiden Major semifinal against all odds at the Australian Open. However, she has since failed to go deep at a big event, having suffered early exits in Abu Dhabi and Doha.

The 27-year-old, who made her Top 10 return last month, won her opener at this week's Dubai Tennis Championships in comfortable fashion on Sunday (February 16), defeating New Zealand's Lulu Sun 6-3, 6-4 to achieve her career-best result at the WTA 1000 tournament (after going out in the first round in her only two career appearances in 2023 and 2024).

Mertens, meanwhile, has also put together impressive results in 2024. The Belgian finished runner-up at the Honest International in January before going all the way at the Singapore Tennis Open earlier this month.

The 29-year-old, a former semifinalist in Dubai, made quick work of her younger opponent, Leylah Fernandez, in her first-round opener last Saturday. She dropped only four games during the contest, dominating the Canadian 6-2, 6-2 to reach the second round.

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Paula Badosa vs Elise Mertens head-to-head

Badosa and Mertens have never met on the WTA Tour so their second-round match in Dubai marks their first-ever encounter.

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Paula Badosa vs Elise Mertens odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over/Under)
Paula Badosa	+130	-1.5 (+135)	Over 21.5 (-130)
Elise Mertens	-165	+1.5 (-200)	Under 21.5 (-110)

All bets sourced from BetMGM.

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Paula Badosa vs Elise Mertens prediction

Badosa in action during 1R match in Dubai (Source: Getty)

Badosa has been playing with renewed vigor since making a comeback from a debilitating back injury last year. The Spaniard is a gritty shotmaker and can stay with any opponent of hers from the baseline, regardless of how aggressive they are. She also has the endurance of a triathlete and can last hours on-court.

Mertens nearly doesn't have the strength and conditioning of her younger opponent. However, the Belgian makes up for it with her experience and court-craft. The World No. 31's biggest weapon is her backhand slice, which allows her to move her opponents around and offset their rhythm.

While Badosa is the more assertive player of the two, Mertens is carrying a rich vein of form into Dubai. The 29-year-old's playing style also suits the fast hardcourts at the WTA 1000 tournament, giving her respectable chances of springing up an upset over the former World No. 2.

Pick: Mertens in three sets.