Jeļena Ostapenko vs Belinda Bencic • Ningbo 2026

Jeļena Ostapenko, ranked 24th in the world and unseeded, faces Belinda Bencic, ranked 14th in the world and seeded No. 5, in the first round in Ningbo. Ostapenko comes in on a four-match winning streak before her defeat in the Wuhan final and stands at 6-4 over her last ten matches, while Bencic is at 5-5 and has lost her last two encounters.

The Latvian has had three days of rest, compared to six for the Swiss player. Both compete on hard courts, where Ostapenko holds a record of 181-150, versus 206-131 for Bencic.

Both players are right-handed and use a two-handed backhand. Their performance against right-handers will be an interesting indicator: 24-26 for Ostapenko over her last 50 such matches, versus 30-20 for Bencic.

Their last meeting dates back to January 13, 2025, at the Australian Open, on a hard court. Belinda Bencic won against Jeļena Ostapenko in two sets, 63 76, in a match lasting 116 minutes. That hard-court duel was therefore particularly long for a two-set victory.