Naomi Osaka v Jelena Ostapenko | US Open preview, betting tips and H2H

Naomi Osaka marks her US Open return with an eye-catching first-round tie against Jelena Ostapenko at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.

The two-time champion was absent from the season’s final major 12 months ago following the birth of her daughter.

However, she is now back at the scene of her 2018 and 2020 triumphs as a wildcard, and eager to build momentum after runs to the quarter-finals in Doha and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Osaka faces a tough opener, mind. Ostapenko reached last year’s quarter-finals, where she ran into inspired eventual winner Coco Gauff.

The Latvian is also a two-time WTA winner this term in Adelaide and Linz, while only champion elect Barbora Krejcikova prevented her from advancing beyond the last eight at Wimbledon.

A showdown with either Karolina Muchova or Katie Volynets awaits the winner of this clash in the second round.

The match gets under way at around 6pm BST (11am local time) on Tuesday and will be contested over the best of three sets in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Naomi Osaka v Jelena Ostapenko prediction

This is one of the standout ties of the opening round with two former major winners set to go head to head.

And it promises to be an even more intriguing clash given neither player is in sparkling form.

Indeed, Osaka has won just two of her last seven matches, while Ostapenko has been beaten in four of her most recent five.

But despite first-round exits at the Olympics and Cincinnati, the Latvian’s greater levels of match sharpness in recent times may just be enough to see her through her.

Naomi Osaka v Jelena Ostapenko betting tip

Jelena Ostapenko to win 2-1 @ 15/4 with Bet365

Naomi Osaka v Jelena Ostapenko match odds

18+ | Please Gamble Responsibly | All odds correct at time of publication

How to watch Osaka v Ostapenko live online

All matches at the 2024 US Open are available to watch live via the Bet365 live streaming service.

To access live streaming of tennis, simply:

1. Go to Bet365.com via this special link
2. Register an account, make a first deposit and bet £10 to receive £30 in Bet Credits*
3. Once registered, go to the sports homepage and select ‘Tennis’ from the left-hand menu
4. Select the play icon next to the match in progress and the stream window will appear

*18+ only. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required. GambleAware.org. *or currency equivalent

Naomi Osaka v Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head

This will be only the second meeting between the players on the WTA Tour. Their sole previous encounter came at the French Open eight years ago, with Osaka prevailing in straight sets.