Odds, Predictions, Match Details & More for the Round-3 Battle.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka locks horns against unseeded Austrian Anastasia Potapova in the Australian Open 2026 Round of 32 on Friday. The two-time champion in Melbourne Park has dominated proceedings in her first two encounters, and will be hoping for another shutdown. Our predictions and picks via BetMGM place Sabalenka as the favorite over Potapova, who has never registered a win against the Belarusian powerhouse.
Thinking about this point…
39-year-old Serena Williams facing 22-year-old Aryna Sabalenka at the 2021 Australian Open 🔥pic.twitter.com/fu1aGfqH4W
Sabalenka is the holder of 22 career singles trophies, four of which came in 2025. After losing in the dying stage of all the majors, the 27-year-old finally succeeded at the US Open. While Sabalenka fell short vs Madison Keys in last year’s final, she dropped just nine games en route to the Round of 32 in 2026. For Potapova, a confidence boosting victory over Emma Raducanu puts her in good stead vs the top seed. Currently ranked No. 55 in the world, she has achieved a career-best Round of 16 finish at Grand Slams.
According to the tennis betting odds, Aryna Sabalenka is the favorite to win this match with -2000 odds on BetMGM. Anastasia Potapova follows up with +950 odds on the BetMGM moneyline. Here’s how we are betting on the tigress vs the challenger in this Australian Open 2026 Round of 32, including our best bets, supporting odds and a set-score prop for bigger prices.
Tournament & Round: Australian Open 2026, Round of 32
Surface: Outdoor Hard Court
Format: Women’s Singles, Best of Three Sets
Date & Start Time: January 23,
Court: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Best Bet: Aryna Sabalenka -6.5 Games @ -120 as per BetMGM
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Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova Betting Odds
Given below are the latest odds for Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova from the top sportsbooks. We are looking at the match money line, game handicap and total games, plus some set betting markets where available.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova Prediction & Picks
Our Pick: Aryna Sabalenka -6.5 Games at -120
In terms of the match result odds, this is a complete blowout in favor of Sabalenka. The World No. 1 was not defeated prior to the semifinal stage at any of the majors in 2025, and is likely to continue her streak at the Happy Slam. This is why it makes more sense to bet on the game handicap to minimize risks in the market.
The statistics line up perfectly for the four-time Grand Slam champion. Her worst set against Potapova happens to be 6-2, meaning that she has asserted her leverage over the former World No. 21. She has won over 70% points on first serve and served six aces across her two matches so far. This is why we predict Sabalenka to come out on top even with a game handicap of -6.5 games.
Aryna Sabalenka Recent Form
Brisbane International 2026: Winner
WTA Finals 2025: Final
Wuhan Open 2025: Semifinal
US Open 2025: Winner
Cincinnati Open 2025: Quarterfinal
Anastasia Potapova Recent Form
Poised under pressure 😎
Anastasia Potapova defeats No. 28 seed Emma Raducanu 7–6(3), 6–2 , booking her spot in Round 3 🤗#AO26pic.twitter.com/Xo7ieUS8Kt
Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova Head to Head Record
Sabalenka leads the head-to-head against Potapova by 2-0. This includes two clay court victories in 2025 and 2023 respectively. The Australian Open 2026 third round match-up is set to be their first meeting on hard courts.
Event
Round
Winner
Score
2025 Rome
Round of 64
Aryna Sabalenka
6-2 6-2
2023 Stuttgart
Semifinal
Aryna Sabalenka
6-1 6-2
How to Watch Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open 2026?
The Australian Open 2026 can be viewed live on a variety of streaming platforms and TV channels across the world. This includes Tennis Channel, Stan Sport, ESPN International, TSN, beIN Sports, SuperSport, Canal+, Sony Sports, Eurosport and TNT Sports – depending on where you are watching from.
Date
January 23, 2026
Time
Tournament
Australian Open 2026, Round of 32
Surface
Outdoor Hard Court
Court
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
TV/Streaming
Tennis Channel, Stan Sport, ESPN International, TSN, beIN Sports, SuperSport, Canal+, Sony Sports, Eurosport, TNT Sports
A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.
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