Leylah Fernandez vs Maya Joint Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Joint can kick off Washington campaign with a win

Joint has put together an outstanding season so far in 2025, winning two WTA titles to break into the top 40 after starting the year ranked outside the top 100. The Aussie will be hoping to continue her rapid rise during the North American hardcourt summer - and she will be confident of more success having played the bulk of her early tennis in the United States. Fernandez meanwhile has been struggling for most of the season, failing to win back-to-back matches in 11 of her last 12 tournaments. The Canadian is a former US Open runner-up in 2021, but she hasn't got close to that sort of level over the last few years.

Joint has shown a tendency to play some relatively long and close matches throughout the season, so I'm backing Over 20.5 total games here, with the Aussie favoured to advance into the second round.

This will be the first career meeting between the pair.

Fernandez comes into this clash with a negative 16-17 record on the season, but has managed to maintain a place inside the world's top 40.

A quarter-final run in Cincinnati and semi-final finish in Hong Kong towards the end of 2024 are keeping her in the top 50, but Fernandez will be under pressure to defend those points in the coming months and would desperately love a big result in Washington to help.

The 22-year-old started the year in solid fashion, reaching the third round of the Australian Open, the quarter-finals in Abu Dhabi and the R16 in Doha, but she's failed to win consecutive matches in 11 of her last 12 tournaments - including a most-recent second round exit at Wimbledon to veteran Laura Siegemund.

The former World No. 13 didn't compete in Washington last year due to the Olympics, with her only previous appearance resulting in a second round finish in 2023.

Joint has been one of the most impressive players on tour this season, compiling a 38-17 record at all levels to rise to a career-high No. 37 in the world.

The 19-year-old has picked up two WTA titles in different surfaces - and both came in the week before a slam, with Joint capturing the silverware on the clay of Rabat and the grass of Eastbourne.

Those runs contributed to opening round defeats at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to the short turnarounds, with Joint having the misfortune of drawing eventual quarter-finalist Liudmila Samsonova at the All England Club.

The Aussie has also finished runner-up at the WTA 125k in Warsaw and made the semi-finals in Hobart and the 125 in Cancun during a stellar year. Joint will be making her Washington main draw debut this week.

Watch and bet on Leylah Fernandez vs Maya Joint live Citi DC Open tennis from Washington.

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