Aryna Sabalenka vs Marta Kostyuk Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Madrid rematch in Rome R16

These two players squared off in the last eight in Madrid earlier this month, with Sabalenka edging it in two tiebreaks before going on to secure the silverware. Kostyuk hasn't let that tight defeat affect her, with the Ukrainian playing some scintillating tennis so far in Rome to reach the R16 without losing a single set. With six wins in her last seven matches and inside the top 30 in the world, Kostyuk is arguably playing the best tennis of her career coming into this clash.

Sabalenka meanwhile was all over the place in a three-set win over Sofia Kenin in her previous round - and with three of the top five seeds already eliminated, she could be vulnerable for the remainder of the tournament, especially with Roland Garros just around the corner. If Kostyuk can learn from the close Madrid defeat and maintain her current level, she should be able to push the World No. 1 again.

Sabalenka leads 3-0 and as mentioned, edged a tight contest 7-6 7-6 in the quarter-finals of Madrid a couple of weeks ago.

Sabalenka has firmly established herself as the undisputed best player in the world over the last two years and comes into this clash with a 33-5 record on the season.

The World No. 1 has won three WTA titles and made a further three finals as she continues to put distance between herself and the rest of the tour.

Sabalenka is currently on a 14-match winning streak at WTA 1000 level after winning the Miami and Madrid titles, along with toppling Anastasia Potapova and Sofia Kenin in Rome this week.

All up, Sabalenka has won 21 of her last 23 matches and she will be hoping to go one step further in Rome this year after finishing runner-up in 2024.

Kostyuk has compiled a 17-10 record on the season to date and will be hoping to climb further up the rankings over the next couple of months.

Consistency has been key for Kostyuk's gradual climb into the top 30 - she's performed strongly at the big tournaments, reaching quarter-finals in Doha and Madrid, along with third and fourth rounds at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami.

After reaching the quarter-finals in Madrid last week, Kostyuk has taken her game to another level in Rome, crushing Alexandra Eala, Daria Kasatkina, and Leylah Fernandez for a loss of just 13 total games.

It's been a stellar week so far for Kostyuk, who was just 1-4 in Rome before this tournament.