Elise Mertens vs Nikola Bartunkova predictions, Jan 23, 2026

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As Elise Mertens prepares to face Nikola Bartunkova at the 2026 WTA Australian Open, both players are demonstrating solid recent form, having each secured victories in 4 of their last 5 matches. Mertens, known for her relentless baseline game and sharp return skills, will benefit from playing at home, where familiar conditions may provide her an added edge. Bartunkova, on the other hand, has shown resilience and adaptability, utilizing a balanced offensive approach that combines powerful groundstrokes with strategic point construction.

The bookmakers reflect Mertens’ favoritism with odds at 1.37 for a home win, contrasting with Bartunkova’s 3.13 for an away victory. Our predictive model gives Mertens a 67.7% chance of winning, leaving Bartunkova with a 32.3% probability of an upset. The predicted score of 2:0 suggests a straight-sets victory for Mertens, emphasizing the nuance that any match can turn based on performance on the day.

In conclusion, while Mertens appears positioned to capitalize on her home advantage, especially considering her recent success, Bartunkova’s form indicates she may present a formidable challenge. As always in tennis, match results are never guaranteed.

This preview is generated with the Welcome.Bet AI Insights Engine, combining form data, betting odds, and semantic SEO optimization to deliver relevant match analysis for fans and bettors alike from 2026-01-22T09:52:03+00:00.

Mertens 69.6%

Bartunkova 30.4%

Prediction (the most likely score): 2:0

Watch and Bet Mertens – Bartunkova available at: Bet Now (Full Screen)

Betting Odds

	1	X	2
	1.36		3.15
	1.37		3.15	Watch and Bet
	1.37		3

Latest Results

21.01.26 Elise Mertens – Moyuka Uchijima – 2:0 19.01.26 Elise Mertens – Lanlana Tararudee – 2:0 09.01.26 Belinda Bencic – Elise Mertens – 2:1 08.01.26 Elise Mertens – Barbora Krejcikova – 2:1 05.01.26 Victoria Mboko – Elise Mertens – 1:2

22.01.26 Nikola Bartunkova – Belinda Bencic – 2:1 20.01.26 Darya Kasatkina – Nikola Bartunkova – 1:2 14.01.26 Nikola Bartunkova – Whitney Osuigwe – 2:0 13.01.26 Nikola Bartunkova – Tina Nadine Smith – Smith T. N. retired 11.01.26 Nikola Bartunkova – Selena Janicijevic – 2:0

Facts

Mertens is ranked WTA: 21. Bartunkova is ranked WTA: 126.

Mertens is undoubtedly in great shape (last 5 games: 4 wins).

Bartunkova is in great form and has won several matches in a row (last 5 games: 5 wins).

Mertens may have a physical advantage due to more rest days in recent times.

In this match, Mertens is the team to beat.

Recently, there has been no match between the players.

Standings

Draw

Singles – Main

1/64-finals

1	Sabalenka A. (1)	Rakotomanga Rajaonah T. (WC)	2 : 0
2	Pavlyuchenkova A.	Bai Z. (Q)	1 : 2
3	Lamens S.	Potapova A.	1 : 2
4	Sawangkaew M.	Raducanu E. (28)	0 : 2
5	Mboko V. (17)	Jones E. (WC)	2 : 0
6	McNally C.	Sakatsume H. (Q)	2 : 0
7	Kudermetova P.	Maristany G. (Q)	2 : 0
8	Galfi D.	Tauson C. (14)	0 : 2
9	Alexandrova E. (11)	Sonmez Z. (Q)	1 : 2
10	Bondar A.	Mandlik E. (WC)	2 : 0
11	Putintseva Y.	Haddad Maia B.	2 : 1
12	Jacquemot E.	Kostyuk M. (20)	2 : 1
13	Jovic I. (29)	Volynets K.	2 : 0
14	Hon P. (WC)	Stakusic M. (RET.) (Q)	1 : 1
15	Erjavec V.	Frech M.	0 : 2
16	Sasnovich A. (Q)	Paolini J. (7)	0 : 2
17	Gauff C. (3)	Rakhimova K.	2 : 0
18	Danilovic O.	Williams V. (WC)	2 : 1
19	Hunter S. (Q)	Bouzas Maneiro J.	2 : 0
20	Baptiste H.	Townsend T. (LL)	2 : 1
21	Muchova K. (19)	Cristian J.	2 : 0
22	Parks A.	Eala A.	2 : 1
23	Li A.	Osorio C.	2 : 1
24	Linette M.	Navarro E. (15)	2 : 1
25	Svitolina E. (12)	Bucsa C.	2 : 0
26	Klimovicova L. (Q)	Jones F. (RET.)	1 : 0
27	Gibson T. (WC)	Blinkova A.	2 : 0
28	Krejcikova B.	Shnaider D. (23)	1 : 2
29	Yastremska D. (26)	Ruse G.	0 : 2
30	Starodubtseva Y. (Q)	Tomljanovic A.	1 : 2
31	Sakkari M.	Jeanjean L.	2 : 0
32	Vekic D.	Andreeva M. (8)	1 : 2
33	Pegula J. (6)	Zakharova A.	2 : 0
34	Arango E.	Kessler M.	0 : 2
35	Selekhmeteva O.	Seidel E.	2 : 1
36	Diyas Z. (WC)	Badosa P. (25)	0 : 2
37	Fernandez L. (22)	Tjen J.	0 : 2
38	Pliskova Ka.	Stephens S. (Q)	2 : 0
39	Krueger A.	Bejlek S.	2 : 0
40	Oliynykova O.	Keys M. (9)	0 : 2
41	Noskova L. (13)	Semenistaja D.	2 : 0
42	Zhang S.	Preston T. (WC)	1 : 2
43	Wang Xin.	Kalinina A. (Q)	2 : 0
44	Sramkova R.	Ostapenko J. (24)	0 : 2
45	Kenin S. (27)	Stearns P.	0 : 2
46	Marcinko P.	Maria T.	2 : 0
47	Udvardy P.	Siniakova K.	0 : 2
48	Waltert S.	Anisimova A. (4)	0 : 2
49	Rybakina E. (5)	Juvan K.	2 : 0
50	Gracheva V.	Golubic V.	2 : 1
51	Sun L.	Fruhvirtova L. (Q)	0 : 2
52	Valentova T.	Joint M. (30)	2 : 0
53	Mertens E. (21)	Tararudee L. (Q)	2 : 0
54	Sierra S.	Uchijima M.	0 : 2
55	Kasatkina D.	Bartunkova N. (Q)	1 : 2
56	Boulter K.	Bencic B. (10)	0 : 2
57	Osaka N. (16)	Ruzic A.	2 : 1
58	Cirstea S.	Lys E.	2 : 1
59	Inglis M. (Q)	Birrell K.	2 : 1
60	Siegemund L.	Samsonova L. (18)	2 : 1
61	Kalinskaya A. (31)	Kartal S.	2 : 0
62	Grabher J.	Cocciaretto E.	2 : 1
63	Zarazua R.	Bouzkova M.	0 : 2
64	Yuan Y. (Q)	Swiatek I. (2)	0 : 2

1/32-finals

1	Sabalenka A. (1)	Bai Z.	2 : 0
2	Potapova A.	Raducanu E. (28)	2 : 0
3	Mboko V. (17)	McNally C.	2 : 0
4	Kudermetova P.	Tauson C. (14)	1 : 2
5	Sonmez Z.	Bondar A.	2 : 0
6	Putintseva Y.	Jacquemot E.	2 : 0
7	Jovic I. (29)	Hon P.	2 : 0
8	Frech M.	Paolini J. (7)	0 : 2
9	Gauff C. (3)	Danilovic O.	2 : 0
10	Hunter S.	Baptiste H.	0 : 2
11	Muchova K. (19)	Parks A.	2 : 1
12	Li A.	Linette M.	0 : 2
13	Svitolina E. (12)	Klimovicova L.	2 : 0
14	Gibson T.	Shnaider D. (23)	1 : 2
15	Ruse G.	Tomljanovic A.	2 : 0
16	Sakkari M.	Andreeva M. (8)	0 : 2
17	Pegula J. (6)	Kessler M.	2 : 0
18	Selekhmeteva O.	Badosa P. (25)	2 : 0
19	Tjen J.	Pliskova Ka.	0 : 2
20	Krueger A.	Keys M. (9)	0 : 2
21	Noskova L. (13)	Preston T.	2 : 1
22	Wang Xin.	Ostapenko J. (24)	2 : 1
23	Stearns P.	Marcinko P.	2 : 0
24	Siniakova K.	Anisimova A. (4)	0 : 2
25	Rybakina E. (5)	Gracheva V.	2 : 0
26	Fruhvirtova L.	Valentova T.	1 : 2
27	Mertens E. (21)	Uchijima M.	2 : 0
28	Bartunkova N.	Bencic B. (10)	2 : 1
29	Osaka N. (16)	Cirstea S.	2 : 1
30	Inglis M.	Siegemund L.	2 : 1
31	Kalinskaya A. (31)	Grabher J.	2 : 0
32	Bouzkova M.	Swiatek I. (2)	0 : 2

1/16-finals

1	Sabalenka A. (1)	Potapova A.
2	Mboko V. (17)	Tauson C. (14)
3	Sonmez Z.	Putintseva Y.
4	Jovic I. (29)	Paolini J. (7)
5	Gauff C. (3)	Baptiste H.
6	Muchova K. (19)	Linette M.
7	Svitolina E. (12)	Shnaider D. (23)
8	Ruse G.	Andreeva M. (8)
9	Pegula J. (6)	Selekhmeteva O.
10	Pliskova Ka.	Keys M. (9)
11	Noskova L. (13)	Wang Xin.
12	Stearns P.	Anisimova A. (4)
13	Rybakina E. (5)	Valentova T.
14	Mertens E. (21)	Bartunkova N.
15	Osaka N. (16)	Inglis M.
16	Kalinskaya A. (31)	Swiatek I. (2)

1/8-finals

1	TBD #1	TBD #2
2	TBD #3	TBD #4
3	TBD #5	TBD #6
4	TBD #7	TBD #8
5	TBD #9	TBD #10
6	TBD #11	TBD #12
7	TBD #13	TBD #14
8	TBD #15	TBD #16

Quarter-finals

1	TBD #1	TBD #2
2	TBD #3	TBD #4
3	TBD #5	TBD #6
4	TBD #7	TBD #8

Semi-finals

1	TBD #1	TBD #2
2	TBD #3	TBD #4

Final

1

TBD #1

TBD #2

WTA Australian Open Outrights

1. Sabalenka Aryna: 2.69 (21.35%)

2. Swiatek Iga: 5.75 (9.99%)

3. Rybakina Elena: 7.5 (7.66%)

4. Anisimova Amanda: 9.25 (6.21%)

5. Gauff Coco: 10 (5.74%)

6. Andreeva Mirra: 11 (5.22%)

7. Osaka Naomi: 16 (3.59%)

8. Zheng Qinwen: 17 (3.38%)

9. Keys Madison: 18 (3.19%)

10. Muchova Karolina: 26 (2.21%)

11. Kostyuk Marta: 26 (2.21%)

12. Pegula Jessica: 27.5 (2.09%)

13. Mboko Victoria: 29 (1.98%)

14. Navarro Emma: 34 (1.69%)

15. Badosa Paula: 34 (1.69%)

16. Svitolina Elina: 46 (1.25%)

17. Vondrousova Marketa: 51 (1.13%)

18. Raducanu Emma: 51 (1.13%)

19. Krejcikova Barbora: 51 (1.13%)

20. Jabeur Ons: 51 (1.13%)

21. Paolini Jasmine: 59 (0.97%)

22. Noskova Linda: 66 (0.87%)

23. Alexandrova Ekaterina: 67 (0.86%)

24. Ostapenko Jelena: 67 (0.86%)

25. Fernandez Leylah: 67 (0.86%)

26. Shnaider Diana: 76 (0.76%)

27. Sakkari Maria: 81 (0.71%)

28. Eala Alexandra: 81 (0.71%)

29. Kasatkina Daria: 81 (0.71%)

30. Andreescu Bianca: 81 (0.71%)

31. Collins Danielle: 81 (0.71%)

32. Haddad Maia Beatriz: 101 (0.57%)

33. Yastremska Dayana: 101 (0.57%)

34. Pavlyuchenkova Anastasia: 101 (0.57%)

35. Jovic Iva: 101 (0.57%)

36. Boulter Katie: 101 (0.57%)

37. Kenin Sofia: 101 (0.57%)

38. Vekic Donna: 101 (0.57%)

39. Azarenka Victoria: 101 (0.57%)

40. Tauson Clara: 126 (0.46%)

41. Mertens Elise: 201 (0.29%)

42. Valentova Tereza: 251 (0.23%)

43. Potapova Anastasia: 284 (0.2%)

44. Putintseva Yulia: 291 (0.2%)

45. Kalinskaya Anna: 291 (0.2%)

46. Bartunkova Nikola: 301 (0.19%)

47. Ruse Elena Gabriela: 501 (0.11%)

48. Linette Magda: 501 (0.11%)

49. Pliskova Karolina: 501 (0.11%)

50. Stearns Peyton: 501 (0.11%)

51. Selekhmeteva Oksana: 501 (0.11%)

52. Baptiste Hailey: 501 (0.11%)

53. Wang Xinyu (2001): 501 (0.11%)

54. Inglis Maddison: 501 (0.11%)

55. Sonmez Zeynep: 501 (0.11%)

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