Just one British female remains in the women’s French Open, with Katie Boulter the nation’s sole hope in Paris. Can she prevail against one of the game’s biggest names when she takes on Paula Badosa this Tuesday?
Read on for our Boulter vs Badosa prediction and betting tips.
Boulter comes into Roland-Garros boasting some strong form. The Brit is just one place off her career-high ranking of No. 27 in the world, having broken through to win her maiden title on the WTA Tour in 2024.
Most recently, the 27-year-old made a run to the quarter-finals of the Trophee Clarins WTA 125 tournament in mid-May. Prior to this, she’d had a challenging European clay season, with a pair of opening losses in Rome and Madrid.
However, if her hard court form is anything to go by, then Boulter has the weapons to threaten here in Paris. So far this year, she’s taken down the likes of Beatriz Haddad Maia (twice), Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini.
Playing in her first main draw appearance at the French Open, can Boulter keep British dreams alive? To do so, she’ll need to see off a superstar in Badosa.
Badosa has reached as high as No. 2 in the world across her career. The Spaniard has won three titles and gone all the way to the quarter-finals here at Roland-Garros. However, the 26-year-old is currently languishing at No. 139 in the world and has had significant injury issues the past year.
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How the Bookies View It: Badosa Ahead
Bookmaker bet365 has Badosa well ahead in this first-round match. The former quarter-finalist is paying 2/7 for a win, while Boulter is way back on 11/4 to prevail. Set betting sees this finishing in two, with a Badosa 2-0 result at 5/6.
Recent Head-to-Head: First Meeting
Boulter and Badosa will be playing for the first time against each other on Tuesday at Roland-Garros.
Anything Else Catch the Eye?
Badosa comes into the French Open having made the round of 16 in Rome last week. This was only the second time in the last year that the Spaniard has won consecutive matches, with the other coming in January at the Australian Open.
The fact that Badosa has just made a run could be taken as a promising sign, or a concern. Last time she won two in a row, she wasn’t able to back it up. However, this could be an indication that she’s finally shaking her troublesome back injury.
Off the court, it was announced this week that Badosa is back together with Stefanos Tsitsipas, world No. 9 on the ATP Tour. Will this be a distraction or allow her to play free-flowing tennis?
Boulter vs Badosa Betting Tips & Predictions
We’re leaning towards Boulter on this one. Badosa just hasn’t shown enough consistency over the last year to warrant the odds she’s paying. We see much more value in backing Boulter given the juicy returns bookmakers are giving on her to win.
- Boulter to win @ 11/4
- Boulter to win a set @ 5/6
Boulter and Badosa are up third on Court 14 this Tuesday, with play taking place at approximately 3pm local time. In the meantime, check out our outright women’s prediction and seed analysis at the French Open 2024.