Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA US Open match.
Seeded 30th, Dayana Yastremska is rated the slight favourite to move into the second round, but experienced campaigner Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova cannot be written off.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
After a fine run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Pavlyuchenkova has suffered a dip in form, losing three matches in a row. She fell at the first hurdle in both Montreal and Cincinnati, and then again at a lower-tier event in Monterrey — all despite being seeded. She arrives in New York unseeded and under pressure to turn things around.
Dayana Yastremska
At 25, Yastremska is enjoying her best season by win percentage (65%). She holds a positive record across all surfaces and has reached two finals already in 2025. In Cincinnati, she withdrew in the round of 32 against Coco Gauff, but the cause was not injury — rather the after-effects of antibiotics following food poisoning. She is expected to be fully fit for the US Open.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Dayana Yastremska Prediction
Their only previous meeting came back in 2019, when Pavlyuchenkova won against a teenage Yastremska. Much has changed since: the Ukrainian is now in her prime, while Pavlyuchenkova is trying to regain consistency. Yastremska deserves to be favourite, but Pavlyuchenkova’s experience and ability to raise her level at Slams mean she should stay competitive.
