27th seeded Pole Magdalena Frech has been coasting since claiming a maiden WTA 500 crown at last year’s Guadalajara Open.
2025 WTA Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
US Open Tennis
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, New York City (Outdoor Hardcourts)
Selected 2nd Round Matches- 27th August
Magdalena Frech (27) 1.28 vs Peyton Stearns 0.61
She has been pretty dismal this year, bringing a 10-21 record into these championships (she is yet to win three successive matches this season). She started this North American hardcourt swing in encouraging fashion, reaching the Washington quarters before embarking on a three-match losing streak. But she looked solid in her New York opener, winning 70% of her first-serve points in a routine 6-2, 6-2 win over Aussie Talia Gibson. A defensive player by nature, Frech needs to up the aggression if she wishes to emulate her 4th round run at last year’s Aussie Open. 23-year-old American Peyton Stearns has been one of this year’s biggest disappointments. Blessed with a humungous forehand, I thought that the hard-hitting Stearns would kick on after winning her maiden title last year. Despite one notable semifinal run in Rome, 2025 has been a bit of a wash for Stearns. She has been particularly disappointing during these North American hardcourt precursors, going 1-4 in four events (highlighted by that embarrassing thrashing she received from 45-year-old Williams in Washington). Stearns will feel a great sense of relief after sauntering through her US Open opener, taking down Darja Semenistaja 7-5, 6-0 (winning 92% of her first-serve points in the process).
The Verdict: Stearns to win in straight sets at 1.37- Stearns leads the head-to-head 2-0, easing past the Pole in two 2023 hardcourt meetings. I expect more of the same here. Sure, Stearns has been the epitome of erratic this year. However, her more explosive shot-making should be too much for the industrious Frech.
Anna Kalinskaya (29) 0.39 vs Yulia Putintseva 1.9
A quarterfinalist at last year’s Aussie Open, Russian Anna Kalinskaya will be looking to capitalize after what has been a healthy North American hardcourt series. Kalinskaya rose to prominence last year, reaching a WTA 1000 final in Dubai before going on to finish runner-up in Berlin. The solid all-court player enjoyed a poor start to this campaign, with the lone highlight a semifinal run at a understrength Singapore Tennis Open. She has looked a completely different player in the last month, finishing runner-up in Washington and going down to Swiatek in the Cincy quarterfinals. She was a bit up-and-down in her New York opener, ultimately seeing off Ngounoue 6-0, 5-7, 6-4. Next up for Kalinskaya is pugnacious Kazakh Yulia Putintseva. This has been a tough year for Putintseva. She enjoyed a surprisingly solid 2024 campaign, reaching WTA 1000 quarterfinals in Madrid and Miami while winning a 3rd career title in Birmingham. She appeared to have brought that form into 2025, reaching the semifinals in Adelaide prior to a creditable 3rd round run at the Aussie Open. But she fell off a cliff after Melbourne, going 5-17 in her next 17 events. She will feel relieved
after breaking a six-match losing streak in her New York opener (she fended off tough resistance from Italian Cocciaretto to prevail 6-4, 7-6). One of the most fiery competitors on tour, Putintseva will be hoping that the rambunctious New York atmosphere brings out the best in her.
The Verdict: Putintseva to win in three at 5.6- This will be their first career meeting. I know this prediction seems to make little sense; just hear me out. Putintseva thrives in adversarial conditions and will relish the spoiler role. Kalinskaya has suffered from mental lapses in the past and could wilt in the face of Putintseva’s in-your-face hostility.
Victoria Azarenka 0.98 vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 0.81
36-year-old Belarusian Victoria Azarenka hasn’t been overly active this year, improving to 8-11 with her opening round win over Hina Inoue. She was just too powerful for the main-draw debutant, hitting 35 winners to Inoue’s 11 in a 7-6, 6-4 win. She will be looking to progress to the 3rd round of a slam for the first time since last year’s US Open. Azarenka has always had a special affinity for this event, finishing runner-up on three occasions (as recently as 2020). She has struggled at WTA 1000 level this year but has always has an inalienable ability to pop up in big events (as illustrated in her semifinal run at last year’s Miami Open). Next up for Azarenka is fellow veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The aggressive Russian needed to dig in her New York opener, coming from a set down to upset Yastremska 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Pavlyuchenkova has enjoyed a surreal campaign, reserving most of her best tennis for Grand Slam action. She reached the quarterfinals at this year’s Aussie Open and Wimbledon Championships (the fist time she has reached two Grand Slam quarterfinals in the same year since 2011). She came into this tournament on a four-match losing streak but possess the mental fortitude to elevate her game when it matters.
The Verdict: Azarenka to win in straight sets at 2.05- Azarenka has dominated this rivalry, leading the Russian 7-2 in the head-to-head stakes. Azarenka won their most recent meeting with ease, pasting the Russian 6-2, 6-2 in last year’s WTA 1000 Toronto event. I think that Azarenka’s flatter groundstrokes should give her the edge over the Russian (who tends to generate more topspin).
