Which Spanish player should we be waiting for?

While Bouzkova has delivered one of her best vintages in 2025!

Hard to call. A semifinal at the 2025 Australian Open, then a long year marked by injuries, an attempted comeback in Beijing, and almost no match play for four months for the Spaniard. Yet, in an interview on 12/31, she said she’d had her best preparation to date, feeling very good both physically and mentally. It’s hard to imagine hearing anything else at the moment of announcing a comeback. The only recent element we have is her doubles match with Sabalenka. I saw a player who looked fulfilled, athletic, with no apparent discomfort, and who came away with a win in two sets and a tiebreak.

Bouzkova, on the other hand, has really stepped up in 2025 and comes in full of confidence. A title in Prague, eight wins against top-30 players, and a first-round match here in Brisbane against Cristian wrapped up quickly, with excellent serving stats. She’s also defending a quarterfinal at this tournament. However, she has still never beaten the Spaniard.

Between an obvious lack of match rhythm on one side and a player in full momentum on the other, the odds seem pretty well set to me. I’m leaning more towards a tight match, with a tendency towards the over, and possibly a three-set scenario.