Iga Swiatek heads into the French Open making an attempt to turn out to be the primary participant since Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2016 to efficiently defend a girls’s Grand Slam singles title, with accidents and poor clay type clouding the hopes of a number of of her chief rivals.
Following her victory in Rome, culminating in a ruthless 46-minute takedown of Karolina Pliskova, Poland’s first Grand Slam singles champion returns to Roland Garros simply seven months on with a far better weight of expectation.
Swiatek, who turns 20 subsequent week, was the lowest-ranked lady, then 54th on this planet, to win the French Open, shifted from its conventional May-June slot final yr as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.
Like Jelena Ostapenko in 2017, it was her first title at tour stage. Unlike the Latvian, who has struggled to breed her greatest tennis usually, Swiatek seems higher geared up to remain on the high.
She entered the highest 10 for the primary time final week, and has cited the consistency of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as a aim for which she will try.
“I’m actually happy with myself that I’m truly beginning to be extra constant, as a result of that was my aim from the start,” said Swiatek.
“I feel right now that I am doing huge progress in that matter. But it was actually a bit frustrating after the French Open, because sometimes you can’t see the result of your work.
“Obviously winning a Grand Slam is great, but after that comes rankings, and this year it was different.
“I’m really proud that I’m gonna have in my resume that I’m top 10, because I always wanted that. I also want to be consistent. So right now our goal is to keep me in that place and go further.”
Ashleigh Barty vacated her Roland Garros title after skipping a lot of the 2020 season citing well being and journey dangers.
The world primary has received three titles this yr and reached the Madrid closing, however an arm harm on the Italian Open compelled her out of the quarter-finals and solid doubt over her health in Paris.
“The ache was changing into too extreme, so it was essential that I hearken to my physique and naturally try to do the proper factor,” Barty said after retiring against 17-year-old Coco Gauff.
“It just pops up every now and again,” she added, “however we’re assured we all know how you can handle it.”
Halep ruled out
While the Australian sounded optimistic, the same cannot be said for Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open winner and reigning Wimbledon champion who will miss the event with a torn calf muscle.
“The thought of not being in Paris fills me with sadness, but I will focus my energy on recovery,” tweeted Halep, who was thumped by Swiatek within the final 16 of final yr’s match.
As for Williams, now 39, she has received simply one in all three matches on clay this month having returned after practically three months away following the Australian Open.
The American stays on 23 Grand Slam titles, one behind Margaret Court’s all-time file, and has not gone past the final 16 in Paris since dropping the 2016 closing to Garbine Muguruza.
Her coach Patrick Mouratoglou admitted it was unlikely Williams would win her first main because the 2017 Australian Open in Paris.
With few apparent viable candidates for the trophy, this version might provide Naomi Osaka an opportunity to step up on clay.
However, all seven of her profession titles, together with her 4 majors, have come on laborious surfaces.
The Japanese star was knocked out early in each Madrid and Rome. Her greatest efficiency at Roland Garros in 4 makes an attempt is the third spherical.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus claimed her largest title up to now on the Madrid Open. She will look to construct on her run to the final 16 in Melbourne figuring out that 9 of the previous 15 girls’s majors have yielded first-time winners.
Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, may very well be one to observe if she hits type however she has struggled with accidents. On Tuesday, she pulled out of the Strasbourg clay-court match after successful her round-of-16 match, saying “I don’t wish to take any dangers” ahead of Roland Garros.
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