The WTA Madrid second round continues on Friday. The Round of 64 began on Thursday with a few eye-opening results. Elina Svitolina, the No. 7 seed, was beaten in straight sets. Naomi Osaka looked very good in a convincing win. Iga Swiatek played a clean match and started her tournament the right way. What will happen on another day of second-round matches, with more seeded players in action? Here are three matches on the Friday card.
WTA Madrid
Ruse – Rybakina: Time 6:30 EST
H2H: 0-2
A few years ago, Elena Rybakina looked like a player who would regularly be in the WTA top three and would always compete for big titles. She had a several-month stretch in which she continuously went deep in tournaments. Then she lost focus and suffered some bad losses which shook her confidence. She needed to find a way to bounce back, and in 2026, she has done that. She won the Australian Open, reached the final in Indian Wells, made the semis in Miami, and just won Stuttgart. She and Aryna Sabalenka are the two best players on tour. This is what Rybakina is capable of. Let’s see if it continues against Elena Gabriela Ruse, who won her first-round Madrid match to advance here.
Best Bet to Make
Rybakina to win in straight sets won’t offer a good price, so game spread is the play. The number is 6.5 games. Rybakina could easily blow out Ruse. No one would be shocked if it happened. However, Rybakina just won a tournament. She played a lot of tennis last week and might not be in peak form in her first match in Madrid, a different environment with its own unique traits. Ruse has played a match in Madrid this week and is more familiar with how the court plays. It’s probably just enough to make Ruse the better bet against the spread.
That being said, betting on Ruse +6.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ruse +6.5 games @2.02 @1xBet
Sonmez – Bucsa: Time 6:30 EST
H2H: 0-1
Cristina Bucsa is the higher-ranked player in this matchup, but she is not favored to win. Why is this the case? Simple: Bucsa suffered a right hip injury in Miami which has forced her to miss the past few weeks of tennis competition. Zeynep Sonmez has been playing tournaments consistently and getting decent results. She made the Stuttgart Round of 16 as a qualifier and won one match in both Indian Wells and Miami. The markets are convinced Sonmez will win. Are they right?
Best Bet to Make
The reality that Bucsa is coming back from a hip injury is hard to ignore here. The hip is a really important body part for tennis players. They need to swing their hips to get in position to hit a shot and then drive through the ball. Bucsa is unlikely to be sharp in this match. She will probably worry about how healthy her hip is. She probably won’t hit the ball as cleanly as she normally does. Sonmez is a fully fit player who has been getting consistent match play over the past month. Sonmez winning the match in straight sets looks very realistic and offers a great price if the bet wins.
That being said, betting on Sonmez winning 2:0 is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Sonmez winning 2:0 @2.25 @Ladbrokes and @Coral
Cirstea – Grant: Time 8:00 EST
H2H: 0-0
Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea has been playing good tennis in recent weeks. She has won five of her last seven matches. However, she had to withdraw from the Rouen semifinals last weekend against Veronika Podrez due to injury. She obviously wanted to be cautious so that she could play Madrid, but will she actually be healthy enough to play well? Tyra Caterina Grant, a teenager, has won nine of her last 10 matches. Six of those matches were on the challenger circuit. Her last three wins were in Madrid, two in qualifying.
Best Bet to Make
This match comes down to Cirstea’s health. Was her injury in Rouen a slight one or a significant one? If it’s not really a factor, Cirstea should dominate this match. If the injury clearly limits Cirstea, Grant should at least win a set or keep the match close. It’s a match where you frankly shouldn’t bet a large amount of money. Given that players recovering from injury are often sluggish or ineffective in their first matches back on court, the lean should be to Grant.
That being said, betting on Grant +5.5 games is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/ the best odds: Grant +5.5 games @1.70 @Unibet
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
