Iga Swiatek even money to retain her Roland Garros crown
Iga Swiatek looks to be the clear favourite to walk out of Paris with another Roland Garros title to her name.
Swiatek misfired at the Australian Open but she is a different prospect for opponents on clay.
Her recent Grand Slam defeats have come at the hands of players with booming serves on fast surfaces.
When the WTA Tour starts winding its way through the European clay court swing, many believe Swiatek will assert her dominance once again.
Swiatek already has two French Open titles to her name and clearly enjoys playing at Roland Garros.
You would be hard-pressed to find a bookmaker willing to offer anything more than even money on the Pole to win at this stage and that is unlikely to change unless she suffers an injury.
Despite being suspended at the moment over a positive doping test, Simona Halep is attracting interest as a potential champion at Roland Garros this season.
Halep is desperate to get back on tour and continue the incredible resurgence that marked her 2022 season.
She will be out to claim her second French Open title and third Grand Slam, and knows what it takes to win in Paris.
Due to her suspension a number of bookmakers are not currently offering Halep as an option to win Roland Garros.
Meanwhile the other contenders stand as long shots in the face of Swiatek’s dominance.
While Swiatek has looked vulnerable at times, on her favoured clay she is nearly unstoppable.
A woman who might have the game to stop Swiatek at Roland Garros, is Ons Jabeur, provided she can bet enough tennis under her belt before the French Open having suffered an injury earlier this season.
After her run to the championship match in 2022, Coco Gauff will once again be a player to watch at Roland Garros.
Gauff is still looking for a Major success and indeed is still out to prove she can win any big final but she has time on her side.
Maria Sakkari has been able to reach the last four in Paris before but it isn’t that outlandish for Greek fans to be dreaming of a possible double win should she and Stefanos Tsitsipas fly their flag with pride at the 2023 French Open.
Wimbledon champion and Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina has pushed her name into the reckoning but the surface isn’t her best.
The 2021 champion Barbora Krejčíková is also in the frame after she bounced back from a disappointing 2022 to win a title in the Middle East swing.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic leads early favourites for the French Open
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