Paris Olympics 2024: Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber preview, head-to-head, prediction, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (102) Naomi Osaka vs (217) Angelique Kerber

Date: 27 July 2024

Tournament: Paris Olympics 2024

Venue: Roland Garros, Paris, France

Category: Women's Singles

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: No Prize Money in the Olympics

Live Telecast: USA - NBC, CNBC, Telemundo, Peacock, E!, Fubo | | India - Sports18 Network, JioCinema | UK - BBC, discovery+/Eurosport

Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber preview

Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon 2024 (Source: Getty)

Japan's Naomi Osaka will be taking on German tennis star Angelique Kerber in the first round of the women's singles at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The differing playstyles of both players add to the mix of excitement and hype around this fixture. Osaka is credited as a very technically sound player, while Kerber is often considered one of this generation's best defensive players.

Both the players are coming to Paris after a forgetful Wimbledon campaign, with Osaka crashing out in the second round and Kerber in the first. Osaka lost to Emma Navaro of the United States in straight sets, 4-6, 1-6, and Kerber lost to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 5-7, 3-6.

While both players have multiple Grand Slam titles, a French Open title is missing from both cabinets. This highlights their struggle on the clay courts, making this match-up an intriguing encounter between two tennis giants.

Both players have had their fair share of struggles on the clay courts. Speaking statistically, Kerber's lowest win percentage has been on clay, while Osaka's has been on the grass courts. However, from the Roland Garros perspective, Kerber has reached as far as the quarter-finals to Osaka's third-round upsets. Despite this, Osaka's recent 6-3, 6-3 victory against Daria Kasatkina will serve as good motivation for the Japanese player stepping into this fixture.

Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber Head-to-Head

Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber have faced each other six times, of which Kerber has had the better of Osaka 4 times, while Osaka has won just twice. While the German leads in their head-to-head encounters, Osaka won their most recent match 6-2, 6-3 in the second round of the Miami Open 2022, and she will likely be stepping into the fixture with a mental advantage over her opponent. This will also be their first meeting on clay, making it one of the most exciting first-round fixtures at the Olympic games.

Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber odds

Bets will be updated as soon as more information is achieved

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Naomi Osaka
Angelique Kerber

Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber prediction

Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka's matches have lasted an average of 1.5 hours, and if it goes the distance, Kerber enjoys a slight advantage, having won the deciding set once.

Over the last year, Osaka has won 55.17% of her matches, while Kerber has won just 33.33%. Kerber is known for her strong counter-punching skills on defense; being left-handed, she also thrives on her ability to turn difficult balls into offensive winners.

On the other hand, Osaka is a powerful baseline player who dictates the game with her strong serve, aggressive groundstrokes, and ability to capitalize on her opponent's errors.

While a clear winner of this fixture cannot be predicted, Osaka is favored by critics. However, with Kerber announcing that this will be her last professional tournament before retiring from the game, the German will surely give everything on the court, not making it easy for the two-time US Open winner to move to the second round.