An overlooked left-handed woman

The 25-year-old American is the very definition of a high-risk player. Coached by her father Michael Parks and Jérémy Chardy (technical advisor), she has one of the most powerful serves on tour, capable of exceeding 200 km/h. Her 2026 season has been a rollercoaster, but she showed strong signs of waking up in Doha by knocking out Diana Shnaider (world No. 21). Very prone to impatience, she can mentally check out of her match quickly.

The 23-year-old Russian, coached by Ana Alcazar, is on a spectacular upward trajectory. After a solid 2025, she reached the third round of the 2026 Australian Open by taking out Paula Badosa, before falling to Jessica Pegula. She’s a much more stable player, a left-hander who relies on excellent court coverage and superior tactical intelligence.

As a left-hander, she will look to bother Alycia’s backhand with her wide serve. Her ability to make the American hit “one extra shot” will be the key. Alycia tends to rack up unforced errors if she doesn’t finish points within three shots. Parks is hitting around 0.65 aces per game in 2026, but is committing 0.80 double faults. Selekhmeteva has a very sliced lefty serve that pulls her opponent off the court, which is a nightmare for players who, like Parks, like to take the ball early.