French Open 2024 women’s singles seeds: Iga Swiatek top, Pegula’s withdrawal has effect
The French Open is just days away and Iga Swiatek will head into the women’s draw as an overwhelming favourite after a stunning clay court season.
Back-to-back WTA 1000 triumphs in Madrid and Rome have cemented the Pole as the woman to beat at Roland Garros, where she is a two-time defending champion searching for a fourth title overall.
Swiatek is comfortably world No 1 and will be the top seed, though there have been some interesting moves in terms of the seedings this clay season.
Top four remains unchanged
Though Swiatek was already ahead at the top, world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka was at risk of being overtaken by Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina in the WTA Rankings.
But a strong clay court season has helped the Australian Open winner remain second in the world, with finals in Madrid and Rome providing a timely boost after a post-Melbourne slump.
Rybakina could have potentially overtaken Gauff as world No 3, though her withdrawal from Rome – where she was defending champion – means the American remains third, and the Kazakh fourth.
WTA Rankings Winners and Losers Rome: Aryna Sabalenka stays at No 2, Danielle Collins +3, Naomi Osaka +120
Pegula Out
Jessica Pegula has now confirmed she will not be playing at the event.
The world No 5 has not played in Europe this clay season and looked a doubt for the second major of 2024, and confirmed on Thursday she was making the “super safe” decision not to play.
He withdrawal means that Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is seeded fifth, Maria Sakkari sixth, and Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen seventh.
Ons Jabeur will now be eighth seed, following Pegula’s withdrawal.
Read More: How Jessica Pegula’s French Open withdrawal impacts women’s seedings at Roland Garros
Collins surge boosts seeding
A stunning run of form in recent months has sent Danielle Collins flying back up the rankings, and the US No 2 will be the 11th seed at Roland Garros.
That means she cannot face an opponent ranked higher than her until at least the fourth round, potentially opening the door for a deep run.
Danielle Collins, ladies and gentlemen.pic.twitter.com/zenjxnRBMz
— Internazionali BNL d’Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 15, 2024
Fellow American Madison Keys will also have a better seeding after her recent form on the dirt, with the former French Open semi-finalist set to be the 14th seed as it stands.
French No 1 Caroline Garcia has held on to be the 22nd seed and will avoid playing the likes of Swiatek or Sabalenka in the third round – with former champion Barbora Krejcikova the 24th seed.
Top 32 seeds as it stands (as of w/c May 23rd 2024)
1) Iga Swiatek, Poland
2) Aryna Sabalenka
3) Coco Gauff, United States
4) Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan
5) Marketa Vondrousova, Czechia
6) Maria Sakkari, Greece
7) Zheng Qinwen, China
8) Ons Jabeur, Tunisia
9) Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia
10) Daria Kasatkina
11) Danielle Collins, United States
12) Jasmine Paolini, Italy
13) Beatriz Haddad Maia, Brazil
14) Madison Keys, United States
15) Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
16) Ekaterina Alexandrova
17) Liudmila Samsonova
18) Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine
19) Victoria Azarenka
20) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
21) Caroline Garcia, France
22) Emma Navarro, United States
23) Anna Kalinskaya
24) Barbora Krejcikova, Czechia
25) Elise Mertens, Belgium
26) Katie Boulter, Great Britain
27) Linda Noskova, Czechia
28) Sorana Cirstea, Romania
29) Veronika Kudermetova
30) Dayana Yastremska, Ukraina
31) Leylah Fernandez, Canada
32) Katerina Siniakova, Czechia
