Elena Rybakina vs. Caty McNally Head-to-Head, Preview, Prediction, and Betting Odds for WTA China Open 2025 Round 2

Elena Rybakina faces Caty McNally in China Open second-round clash

Eighth seed Elena Rybakina is set to face Caty McNally, competing on a protected ranking, in the second round of the China Open 2025. Rybakina received a first-round bye, while McNally advanced with a straight-sets victory over Laura Siegemund. Rybakina has enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, starting with semifinal runs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and a quarterfinal appearance in Doha. After a brief mid-season slump, she captured the Strasbourg title, defeating Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.

She followed that with quarterfinals in London and Berlin and consecutive semifinal runs in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati. Her season also included a career-best fourth-round appearance at the US Open, where Marketa Vondrousova ended her run in three sets. Across 60 matches, Rybakina has struck 378 aces, winning 74% of first-serve points, 43% of return points, and converting 42.2% of break points.

Elena Rybakina looking very happy to be back in Beijing.

Great to see her smiling & healthy enough to play this part of the season again. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cM98oWxYT8
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 25, 2025

McNally, returning from an elbow injury that sidelined her for more than six months, will rely on her protected ranking to enter the draw. She withdrew from 125K Cancun and Auckland and struggled to progress past the early rounds in most events. Highlights of her season include a 125K Newport title and a three-set upset of Tatjana Maria. Most recently, she exited in the first round of Seoul against Diana Shnaider. In 16 matches this season, McNally has hit 26 aces, won 60.4% of first-serve points, 43.8% of return points, and converted 47% of break points.

Massive round of applause for Caty McNally.

When she came back from injury in November, she was ranked #1020.

She played ITF’s and has climbed back up to #208.

July 2023, she was sidelined for 7 months.

March 2024, she underwent elbow surgery and was out for another 8… pic.twitter.com/lslgqd1EBo
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 3, 2025

Elena Rybakina vs. Caty McNally Head-to-Head Record

Caty McNally holds a 1-0 head-to-head advantage over Elena Rybakina, though the lone meeting ended unusually. McNally was leading when Rybakina retired mid-match due to illness, leaving the result somewhat unresolved.

Year	Event	Round	Winner	Score
2021	Charleston	Round of 64	Caty McNally	6-4, Ret.

Elena Rybakina vs. Caty McNally Comparison

Elena Rybakina	Category	Caty McNally
10	Current Ranking	90
375-160	Career W-L	193-126
44-17	YTD W-L	42-17
9	Career Titles	0
1	Grand Slams	0
1	YTD Titles	0

Elena Rybakina vs. Caty McNally Prediction

Rybakina’s dominant serve and deep-season form give her the edge, but McNally’s resilience could extend rallies and create pressure. Regardless, Rybakina has the obvious edge.

Elena Rybakina storms into the second week! pic.twitter.com/yCWzY4iCq9
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025

Prediction: Elena Rybakina in straight sets

Elena Rybakina vs. Caty McNally China Open 2025 Betting Odds

As a 1/6 favorite, Elena Rybakina is heavily favored to advance. While Caty McNally at 19/5 can challenge with her drive, Rybakina’s firepower and season-long consistency make her the likely victor.

Here are the betting odds according to BetMGM:

Elena Rybakina: 1/6

Katy McNally: 19/5

Here are the odds for total games as well as total sets for both players (sourced via BetMGM):

Total Sets Under 2.5: 7/20

Total Sets Over 2.5: 41/20

Total Games Under 17.5: 19/10

Total Games Over 17.5: 2/5

Set 1 Winner Rybakina: 27/100

Set 1 Winner McNally: 27/10

(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)

Mandatory Image Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.