PremiumFrench Open 2024: Meet the top seeds in the Women’s singles at Roland Garros
Last Updated: 06.55 PM, May 22, 2024
The second Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar year and the only one on clay court, the French Open is on at Roland Garros. The top players have been arriving in the city to begin their quest for glory on the red soil. While the field is wide open in the men’s singles championship, considering that the King of Clay Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic are both not in the greatest shape, the women’s singles is likely to be a very one-sided affair with Iga Swiatek taking it home a fourth time. In India, the official broadcast partner of the French Open is Sony Sports, with the streaming partner SonyLIV.
No.1 Iga Swiatek
Fresh off an ATP Masters double in Madrid and Italy, the top seeded women’s player, 22-year-old Iga Swiatek is a three-time winner in Roland Garros and the defending champion. She has been in immaculate form and is widely considered the Queen of clay, given her prowess on the red court. Swiatek is, undoubtedly, the hot favourite to win the Women’s singles championship.
No.2 Aryna Sabalenka
The 26-year-old’s track record at Roland Garros has not been spectacular, with her career best coming in 2023, when she was semi-finalist and lost to Karolina Muchova. Since 2027, Sabalenka has mostly had early exits from the clay Grand Slam. After her recent loss to Swiatek at the Madrid and Italian Open tournaments, she swore to do better and try and win the French Open.
No.3 Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff’s five French Open appearances so far have had mixed results. From early exits to a final defeat, she’s seen it all. In 2022, she lost to Swiatek in the final, with the latter stopping Gauff in her tracks a year later in the quarter-final. Gauff is one of those players who can give Swiatek a run for her money.
No. 4 Elena Rybakina
The 2022 Wimbledon champion’s French Open trajectory is less than stellar, with her career best being a quarter-final appearance, when she lost to eventual runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Last year, though, Rybakina withdrew from the tournament following a bout of ill-health.
No. 5 Jessica Pegula
The 30-year-old’s French Open journey, spanning more than a decade, has a career best quarter-final outing in 2020, when she lost against Asia Muhammed. Her doubles record is slightly better, with a final appearance in 2022, when she partnered with Coco Gauff and lost to Carolina Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic. Pegula does not have any Grand Slam wins to her credit. Earlier this month, she had said that she may give Roland Garros a miss.