Naomi Osaka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto WTA Washington Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Osaka to reach semi-finals

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Fri 31 Jul 2026 01:40

Andrew Hendrie 31 Jul 2026

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Naomi Osaka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto predictions for Friday's WTA Washington QF
Osaka continues pursuit of first title since 2021 - backed to win with Under 21.5 games
Osaka has won 13 of her 15 matches vs players outside the top 50 in 2026
The match is scheduled to start around 4.00am AEST on Saturday August 1

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Naomi Osaka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto WTA Washington Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Naomi Osaka is backed to reach her second semi-final of 2026 and end the run of Elisabetta Cocciaretto with Under 21.5 total games in Washington on Friday.

Naomi Osaka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto WTA Washington Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Osaka vs Cocciaretto Stats & Trends
Osaka vs Cocciaretto Head To Head
Naomi Osaka Form Analysis
Elisabetta Cocciaretto Form Analysis
Osaka vs Cocciaretto Live Stream

It's crazy to think that Osaka hasn't won a title since the 2021 Australian Open - she came close when finishing runner-up in Bad Homburg during the grass swing and has another great opportunity here in Washington to snap that six-year title drought.

Osaka has breezed into the quarter-finals in the American capital, benefitting from a bye as one of the top four seeds in the opening round before her second round opponent Ashlyn Krueger retired while the former No. 1 was leading 6-3 6-1.

Equipped with a 13-2 record against players outside the top 50 this season, Osaka will be confident of advancing to the semi-finals here.

Cocciaretto actually has a very respectable 7-15 record against top 20 players and has beaten the likes of Clara Tauson and Emma Navarro to make the last eight in Washington.

However, the Italian has never been to a semi-final above WTA 250 level and struggles to put these sorts of performances together for more than two matches in a row.

Osaka won their only previous meeting in straight sets and is tipped for another straight sets victory here.

Osaka vs Cocciaretto Stats & Trends

Osaka has won 12 of her last 15 matches
Osaka is 13-2 vs players outside the top 50 this season
Eight of Osaka's last nine wins vs players outside the top 50 have come in straight sets
Osaka is 22-13 in quarter-final matches in her career
Cocciaretto is 6-9 in quarter-final matches
Cocciaretto has never been beyond the quarter-finals above WTA 250 level

Osaka vs Cocciaretto Head To Head

Osaka leads 1-0, winning their only previous clash in Miami in 2024 in straights.

Year	Winner	Event	Round	Surface	Score
2024	Naomi Osaka	Miami	Round of 128	Outdoor Hard	6–3, 6–4

Naomi Osaka Form Analysis

2026 WTA Record: 21-8
WTA Washington Record: 3-2
Current Ranking: No. 13
Career-High Ranking: No. 1 (2019)

Osaka has enjoyed one of her strongest seasons in recent years, compiling a 21-8 tour-level record and climbing back to World No. 13 - her highest ranking since 2022.

The former World No. 1 produced an excellent European swing, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals, finishing runner-up in Bad Homburg and advancing to the fourth round at Roland Garros, Madrid and Rome.

That level of consistency has often been missing from Osaka's game since her return, but she's now proving a difficult player to beat on a weekly basis.

In fact, six of her eight defeats this season have come against elite opposition in Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova, with the latter ending her runs at both Bad Homburg and Wimbledon.

Osaka is into the Washington quarter-finals for the first time, enjoying a bye in the first round before Ashlyn Krueger retired after a set-and-a-half in the second round.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto Form Analysis

2026 WTA Record: 21-12
WTA Washington Record: 2-0
Current Ranking: No. 71
Career-High Ranking: No. 29 (2023)

It was an excellent start to the season for Cocciaretto as she won the title in Hobart and reached the quarter-finals in Doha, beating Coco Gauff along the way.

Those results provoked feelings that Cocciaretto could make a run for a return to the top 30, but instead she's gone in the opposite direction and arrived in Washington outside the top 70.

Indeed, apart from Rome, Cocciaretto failed to win back-to-back tour-level matches across the last five months.

However, the Italian is looking good again in Washington, with Cocciaretto edging out Clara Tauson 4-6 7-6(2) 7-6(2) in the first round before saving all eight break points she faced in the deciding set of a 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory over eighth seed Emma Navarro.