Thea Frodin vs Elena Rybakina Preview & Prediction | 2026 US Open | First Round

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Elena Rybakina begins her US Open campaign against Thea Frodin.

Start date/time: 31 August 2026 at 4:00 pm

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, USA

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / USA – ESPN

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – ESPN+

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Thea Frodin vs Elena Rybakina ticket information

Thea Frodin vs Elena Rybakina prediction

Thea Frodin was handed a wildcard at the US Open after the 17-year-old won the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships, defeating Janae Preston in the final. She will be making her tour-level debut and Grand Slam main draw debut.

Frodin faces world number two Elena Rybakina in the first-round. Rybakina won her second major title at the Australian Open at the start of the year, and she showed some form earlier this month as she battled her way through the draw to reach the final in Toronto, where she lost to former world number one Iga Swiatek. However, she was forced to retire from her rematch against Swiatek in Cincinnati due to an ankle injury, which led to the Kazakh spending a week away from the court. 

Rybakina has since returned to practice and is positive about her recovery. Frodin can approach this match with little pressure, but she is likely to find it tough. 

Thea Frodin vs Elena Rybakina tip: Under 18.5 games