Fourth-seeded Emma Navarro will begin her 2026 Abu Dhabi Open campaign with a second-round clash against compatriot Hailey Baptiste. While Navarro got a bye in the first round, Baptiste won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Teodora Kostović in the first round.
Emma Navarro vs Hailey Baptiste Match Details
Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Open 2026
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Surface: Outdoor hard
Category:Â WTA 500
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, RDS, Sky Sports
Navarro vs Baptiste Head-to-Head
After four meetings, Navarro has a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head against Baptiste. The last time they played, Navarro won 6-4, 6-3 at Charleston last year.
Navarro began her season with a first-round exit in Auckland, losing to Francesca Jones. She had a quarterfinal run in Adelaide with wins over Emerson Jones and Yulia Putintseva, but lost to Diana Shnaider in the final eight. She had a disastrous Australian Open, being one of the top seeds to fall in the very first round, losing 6-3, 3-6, 3-6 against Magda Linette.
Baptiste began her season with consecutive losses at Brisbane and Hobart, against Yulia Putintseva and Renata Zarazua, respectively. However, she had a good run at the Australian Open, winning her first two rounds against the likes of Taylor Townsend and Storm Hunter. She started exceptionally well against Coco Gauff in the third round, winning the first set, but eventually lost 6-3, 0-6, 3-6 against the third seed.
Navarro vs Baptiste Prediction
Navarro has won 60% of the service games and 40% of the return games in the 2026 season so far. Her first serve has been at 73.6%, winning 64.1% of the points behind that shot. She has done well in break-point situations, converting 50% of her break-point opportunities.
Baptiste, on the other hand, has won 55.6% of the service games and 11.1% of the return games. She has had a decent first-serve record, winning 55.6% of points behind the serve, which was impressive when she won a set against Gauff in Melbourne. Her break point conversion rate for the season is 25%, which still leaves a bit of room for improvement.
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The return stats clearly give Navarro the edge. If the fourth seed can secure an early break, that will help her build the pressure on her opponent, who does not have a quality return game. Moreover, the head-to-head shows that playing Baptiste is a favorable matchup for Navarro, making her the favorite to win the upcoming match.
Pick- Navarro to win in three sets
