WTA Rabat – Sada Nahimana vs Aya El Aouni

WTA Rabat – Sada Nahimana vs Aya El Aouni

🧠 Form & Context

🇧🇮 Sada Nahimana
🔥 On a red-hot run in 2025 with an 18–3 clay-court record and 20–5 overall.
🏆 A five-time ITF champion—all on clay—and one of the most in-form players at this level right now.
📈 Reached the quarterfinals or better in four of her last five tournaments, taking down names like Alves, Udvardy, and Stojanovic.
🇲🇦 Has proven comfort playing in African conditions, with back-to-back titles in Bujumbura this spring.
📍 This marks her third Rabat main-draw appearance—she’s far sharper than when she lost R1 here last year.

🇲🇦 Aya El Aouni
👀 A wildcard hope for the Moroccan crowd, ranked No. 835 and playing her first professional match in four months.
⚠️ Inactive since January, with just four matches played in 2025—all at the ITF level in Morocco.
📉 No top-300 wins this year and limited WTA-level experience to rely on.
🏠 Did reach R2 in Rabat last year, so familiarity and home support could help if she starts strong.

🔍 Match Breakdown

These two met last year in Monastir, where Nahimana dominated 6–1, 6–2. Since then, the Burundian has only sharpened her game and climbed the competitive ladder, while El Aouni has played just a handful of matches.

Nahimana boasts elite 2025 clay metrics:
• 78% match win rate
• 72% of wins in straight sets
• 83% second-set win rate
• Wins 83% of matches in which she takes a set

El Aouni’s only realistic edge lies in the crowd and court familiarity, but she’s stepping into this match with rust and underdog status. Unless Nahimana has a dramatic off-day, this matchup skews heavily in her favor.

🔮 Prediction

Sada Nahimana should dominate if she brings even 80% of her recent form. Expect her to start strong and finish efficiently.
🧩 Prediction: Sada Nahimana in 2 sets — controlling baseline exchanges and silencing any upset hopes early.