Taking place on perhaps the most famous clay surface in the world, the French Open women’s tournament features the best in the tennis world. In this year’s field, there are a slew of new faces seeking Grand Slam glory. While some have won a significant tournament like this before, for instance Barbora Krejčíková winning last year’s French Open, there is still a lot of room for history in this year’s competition. For the 2022 edition of the tournament, Poland’s Iga Świątek is the early favorite and the current No. 1 ranked player in the world.
Here, SBS will go over who to watch at this year’s tournament and if Świątek can fulfill her destiny as the new French Open champion.
Favorites to win 2022 French Open (Women's Singles) | |
---|---|
Iga Swiatek | +185 |
Simona Halep | +600 |
Barbora Krejcikova | +1200 |
Paula Badosa | +1200 |
As referenced above, the powerful Polish tennis player is currently ranked as the top female tennis player in the world according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). After winning the French Open in 2020, Świątek has made sustained runs at the other Grand Slam tournament, but has really been hitting her stride this year. Earlier this tennis season, Świątek advanced to the semifinal round of the Australian Open, which was her best performance at a major tournament since winning the Grand Slam title in Paris in 2020. Also earlier this year, the Polish ace was able to win the Sunshine Double and also became the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the year.
Perhaps the most successful singles player on this list, Halep is seeking her first French Open title since 2018. A former Wimdlebon champion (2019) and world No. 1 player (back in October of 2017), the Romanian powerhouse is one of the most tenured winners on the tennis circuit. Regarded by many tennis observers as one of the best returners on the WTA Tour, Halep is also known for building her ground game around being aggressive and hitting aces from defensive spots. With 23 career singles titles, the 30-year old is looking to bounce back from a lackluster 2021 where she won three titles, but had her year cut short due to injury.
The reigning French Open champion, Krejčíková is seeking not only back-to-back titles, but her first ever appearance as the No. 1 singles player in the world. Currently ranked as the third best player in women’s tennis by the WTA, the Czech ace has not only had success on the singles circuit, but in many doubles tournaments as well. With four Grand Slam doubles titles, Krejčíková has had a ton of sustained dominance. This also includes winning a gold medal in women’s doubles tennis at the 2020 Olympic Games. Though she is still looking to catch up to that mark as a singles competitor, she is a proven winner who can hang with the best in the world.
Our final athlete overview, Badosa is angling for her first ever Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open. With a career record of 7-2 so far at the French Open, last year’s tournament was the Spaniard’s best-ever performance at Roland Garros (quarterfinals). Known for her powerful forehand shots, the No. 2 player in women’s tennis has one of the most tremendous serves on the women’s tennis circuit. If her opponents are not careful, she has been known to overwhelm them with her aggressive playing style, clay court prowess and her superior mental mechanics. While she clearly has the physical tools, Badosa will be looking to put it all together later this month in Paris to notch a Grand Slam win.
Prediction: With the top three players clearly distancing themselves from the field, it will come down to the dominant trio of the first three players above. In this case, look for Halep to return to glory in Paris as the savvy veteran.
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