Osaka is a two-time former US Open champion.
The 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open will feature a captivating Round of 32 clash on Tuesday, as four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka battles the hard-hitting Yulia Putintseva. It will be a feisty baseline-heavy duel on John A Harris Grandstand, with the winner set to face either Marta Kostyuk or Emma Raducanu in the pre-quarterfinals. Check out BetMGM for all the match odds, and keep reading to know our predictions and best bets.
Looking to get back to her best form after giving birth, Naomi Osaka has been showing signs of promise. She started the year by reaching the final in Auckland, before retiring in the Australian Open Round of 32. While the former World No. 1 managed to pick up a WTA-125K title in Saint-Malo, she is yet to get past the pre-quarterfinal stage on tour since January. She is now back on the surface that has yielded the most success for her – Osaka boasts 76% service game success rate on hard courts.
Welcome to DC, @naomiosaka 👋#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/9SaEnWHj63
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 18, 2025
Regarded by many as the pocket dynamite of the WTA Tour, Yulia Putintseva has the game model to upset any big player on her day. A former Top-20 player, the 30-year-old has reached quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the US Open in the past. Putintseva is currently on a three-match losing streak – including a double bagel (0-6 0-6) vs Anisimova at Wimbledon. She has gone 15-17 so far in 2025, and is searching for her first trophy of the year.
The head-to-head record between Naomi Osaka and Yulia Putintseva is 3-3 so far. They have split the six encounters with a 50% success rate each. However, the deadlock will be broken on Tuesday.
Putintseva won the first three contests against her Japanese counterpart without dropping a set. This includes their solitary Grand Slam meeting – at Wimbledon 2019. However, Osaka came roaring back into this rivalry at her home event in 2019. Since then, she picked up two more wins in 2024 to neutralise proceedings with the Kazakh.
| Event | Round | Winner | Score |
| 2024 Beijing | Round of 64 | Naomi Osaka | 3-6 6-4 6-2 |
| 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers | Round-1 | Naomi Osaka | 6-2 7-6(5) |
| 2019 Osaka | Quarterfinal | Naomi Osaka | 6-4 6-4 |
| 2019 Wimbledon | Round of 128 | Yulia Putintseva | 7-6(4) 6-2 |
| 2019 Birmingham | Round of 16 | Yulia Putintseva | 6-2 6-3 |
| 2018 Hobart | Round of 32 | Yulia Putintseva | 6-3 6-3 |
| Naomi Osaka | Category | Yulia Putintseva |
| 4 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 7 | WTA Singles Titles | 3 |
| 0 | WTA Doubles Titles | 0 |
| 2 | WTA-1000 Titles | 0 |
| R3 (Tokyo 2020) | Olympics Best Performance | – |
| No. 51 | Current World Ranking | No. 43 |
Considering Yulia Putintseva likes to exert control over rallies by taking the ball early, the warmer court conditions could oppose her game style. Osaka will look to power through her groundstrokes, denying Putintseva the opportunity to settle into the rallies. If the 27-year-old can produce a high first serve percentage, it will be challenging for the 5’4” Kazakh to apply pressure during return games.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka in straight sets.
According to BetMGM, Naomi Osaka is a heavy favourite in this match-up against Yulia Putintseva. The money line predicts a 76-24 favouring towards the Japanese sensation. Here are the best odds for Osaka vs Putintseva (as per BetMGM):
(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!)
(Image Credits: Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)
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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