Elise Mertens vs Elena Rybakina Preview & Prediction | 2026 Wimbledon Championships | Third Round
by Paul Hassall ·
Updated
Elise Mertens meets Elena Rybakina in the third round at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
Start date/time:
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England
Surface: Outdoor grass
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Elise Mertens vs Elena Rybakina prediction
Former champion Elena Rybakina lay down a statement of intent with an outstanding win over Caty McNally.
The world number two made short work of an in-form American to race into the third round courtesy of a 6-1 6-2 success.
The Kazakhstani star will now tackle Elise Mertens for a ninth time after the Belgian 25th seed hit back to defeat Maria Timofeeva 2-6 6-3 6-0.
This is a maiden tussle on grass but Rybakina leads the head-to-head 7-1 and has won the last six in a row whilst dropping just one set.
The reigning Australian Open champion hasn’t quite been at her best coming into this tournament but her last match saw her hit another gear and she is likely to overwhelm Mertens again here.
Elise Mertens vs Elena Rybakina tip: Elise Mertens to win 2-0
