French Open: Serena Williams vs. Elena Rybakina 6/6/21 Tennis Prediction

Seventh seeded American Serena Williams will face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the Round of 16 of the 2021 French Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Sunday June 6th, 2021 at a time yet to be determined.

Serena Williams is ranked #8 in the WTA rankings and is seeded seventh here at Roland Garros. The American is here in Paris to attempt to equal the world record for the most singles Grand Slam titles. She currently has 23, and victory here will tie Margaret Court’s record. After struggling over the past few months she is seemingly back to her dominant best, advancing to the Round of 16 here at the French Open without many issues. She defeated countrywoman Danielle Collins in straight sets in the Third Round, dominating her opponent from the baseline and serving very well. A brief loss of focus almost cost her the second set, but she improved well to win in straight sets. She knows that she will have to be much improved here as Elena Rybakina is her toughest opponent yet.

Elena Rybakina is ranked #22 and is the 21st seed here at the French Open. She has been outstanding over the past few seasons, but 2021 has been disappointing so far here. She seems to have found form at the right time, and has reached the Third Round by beating Elena Vesnina with her ultra aggressive style. She blasted over 25 winners in the match and will need to be even better here against Serena Williams, as she will not be able to overpower her. While she is the underdog, she is certainly capable of causing the upset if Serena is not quite at her best.

This is likely going to be a close battle, but I am siding with the American here. She looks fit and confident, and once everything is clicking it is unlikely that Rybakina will have enough firepower to win here. It won’t be easy, but I expect Serena Williams to get a tough win here, advancing to the Quarter-Finals here at Roland Garros.