Belinda Bencic looks unstoppable at the moment! After her heroics in Abu Dhabi, she has now got off to a winning start in Dubai as well. Next up for her is America’s Emma Navarro. Following a first-round bye, the eighth seed will be now looking forward to making a winning start to her campaign. Last year, she made an exit from the second round. Can Navarro make a longer run this time at the Dubai Tennis Championships? Well, to do that, she first needs to put an end to Bencic’s incredible winning streak!
Emma Navarro vs Belinda Bencic: Preview
Emma Navarro started her season with a defeat at the hands of Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in the R32 of the Brisbane International. However, the 23-year-old American managed to pull things back on track in Adelaide. She reached the QF over there and then again in Melbourne she showcased an impressive performance. She made it to the QF of the AO, but in that match, Iga Swiatek toppled the American by 6-1,6-2. After that, in Doha, Emma Navarro made an early exit. She will be entering this match following her 2-6,2-6 loss to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the R32 of the Qatar Open.
Mar 13, 2024; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Emma Navarro (USA) hits a shot in her fourth round match as she defeated Aryna Sabalenka (RUS) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
On the other hand, the Swiss star, Belinda Bencic has already secured a win in this competition. She defeated Japan’s Aoi Ito in the first round (R64) by 6-0,6-2. Bencic has been in a red-hot form this season! She reached the R16 at Adelaide International and then made it to the fourth round of the AO as well. In that fourth-round match, she gave a tough fight to America’s Coco Gauff, but the American managed to seal the deal at 5-7,6-2,6-1. After that, came the historic moment of her career. Belinda Bencic defeated Ashlyn Krueger in the final of the Abu Dhabi Open to clinch the ninth WTA title of her career.
What did Bencic say after securing her first title triumph after becoming a mother? Well, Bencic became the first mother to win a WTA singles title since Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in 2023. After this historic feat, Bencic said, “It’s been a while. I am super happy to be back here in Abu Dhabi. I didn’t imagine this. I am also getting a little bit emotional. I was working really hard to even play, coming back. So to also win a title in front of my family, it’s really special.” Can she now make her Middle East trip even more special with yet another impressive run in the Dubai event?
Navarro vs Bencic: Head-to-Head
Both these players haven’t yet faced each other on the Tour. This will be their first meeting, so their H2H record is currently at 0-0. Who will get the last laugh in their first encounter?
Prediction: Bencic to win in three sets
Well, Emma Navarro has recently struggled a bit to find consistency in her game, but we all are well aware of her potential. She’s a proven campaigner! So, Belinda Bencic needs to be a bit careful in this epic contest. What are the key factors that are keeping Bencic ahead of Navarro in this match? Well, the first thing that comes to our mind is Bencic’s winning run. She entered this tournament following her title triumph in Abu Dhabi. Currently, Belinda Bencic (66) has a win-loss record of 11-3 in this season.
On the other hand, Emma Navarro (9) has a win-loss record of just 5-4 in 2025. Apart from that, we must not forget the 27-year-old Swiss is a former champion of this tournament. So, she knows this tournament and surfaces a bit more than someone like Navarro.
Talking about their playing styles, Navarro’s compact style of play along with her high tactical acumen is what makes her a really special player on the women’s Tour. Her movements across the courts are quite exceptional and she’s often seen engaging in the baseline exchanges. Emma Navarro loves stepping up to the net to finish the points. However, her biggest weakness has been a high number of double fault counts.
Talking about double faults, well, Belinda Bencic has also struggled a bit with this in this season. She has so far hit 20 aces but committed 43 double faults! Now, if we take a look at Bencic’s overall playing style, she has an all-court game and she loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Bencic possesses a powerful first-serve but her second-serve is comparatively on the weaker side. Apart from that, the Swiss also possesses the ability to hit powerful groundstroke winners. She can also hit lob and drop-shot winners when presented with the opportunity.
Emma Navarro needs to be extremely watchful in this match as Belinda Bencic can also swiftly turn defense into offense at any point in this epic battle. A little bit of lapse of concentration against the in-form Swiss may turn out to be too costly for the American. Overall, keeping all the aspects in mind, our pick is Belinda Bencic!
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