Ostapenko vs Preston Prediction 24 September 2026

Elena's singles form has been quite turbulent recently, which has cost her significantly in the rankings, though she has kept collecting titles in doubles. Seoul, however, holds a special place for her - she won the title here back in 2017, reached the final in 2022, and has clearly come here looking to rediscover her confidence. Ostapenko's style is well known: total aggression, powerful flat winners and tennis played right on the edge. The Latvian started the tournament with a surprisingly clean performance, without her usual rollercoaster swings (6-4, 6-1). Against Zakharova, Elena switched into demolition mode from the off. Rather than a slow build-up, she produced very tight, clean tennis and in the second set barely noticed her opponent.

This 19-year-old Australian is a genuine breakthrough story. In a short space of time she has climbed from outside the top 300 into the top 100 and is now getting her first real exposure to the bigger tournaments. Preston's game is built on extraordinary tenacity - she will chase down every ball from the baseline, grind through long rallies and hang in until the very last point. She arrived in Asia in good form and with a clear desire to show that her fighting qualities are here to stay. Her first-round match was far from straightforward, turning into a real battle against the Japanese player Sakatsume. Preston took the first set comfortably, lost her way a little in the second and ceded the initiative, but in the deciding set she found the composure of a seasoned competitor. She simply outran and outlasted her opponent, forcing her into repeated errors in the extended exchanges.