The women’s game is exciting, not least because of the unpredictability of results in many of the tournaments being hosted.
However, this hasn’t prevented the very top of the rankings from staying solid, and coming into Roland Garros it makes my predictions for semi finalists reflective of that.
I’ve chosen the final four to be - three time winner, and two time defending champion Iga Swiatek, 2023 semi finalist Aryna Sabalenka, 2022 beaten finalist CoCo Gauff, and 2021 quarter finalist Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek has this year won Rome, Madrid, Indian Wells and Qatar, all 1000 level tournaments.
Sabalenka won the 2024 Australian Open, defending her title.
Gauff won in Auckland and has been.a semi finalist at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Rome.
Rybakina won Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart
How do these four reach the semis ?
Iga Swiatek will knock out a French qualifier first up, then will probably have four time major winner Naomi Osaka in round two with which to contend.
A great match early in the tournament, but one Swiatek should win.
Potentially the third round will see 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova (24) opposed to Swiatek.
Krejcikova has won the last two times against Swiatek, including the final in Dubai last year, but Roland Garros this year will be too much.
Round of sixteen, and Swiatek is drawn to meet Ekaterina Alexandrova (16).
Alexandrova made the Miami semis, and that included a win against Swiatek. Since then, one win from six matches.
Swiatek through to quarters.
Should be a quarter final against Marketa Vondrousova (5).
Swiatek has a 3-0 record, including a first round win at Roland Garros in 2020.
The recent form of Vondrousova is a concern, losing her second matches in both Madrid and Rome, and losing a quarter final as top seed in Strasbourg.
CoCo Gauff will probably have two qualifiers as her first two opponents, and neither pose a threat to the third seed’s progress to round three.
There she is drawn to play Dayana Yastremska (30).
Yastremska has lost in the first round each time she has contested Roland Garros, and lost her only previous match against Gauff.
I prefer Wang Yafan to make round three and lose to Gauff.
Round of sixteen opponent could be either Liudmila Samsonova (17) or Beatriz Haddad Maia (13).
Samsonova just defeated Haddad Maia in the Strasbourg quarter finals, so I think it will be her to fight Gauff.
Gauff has a 3-0 record against Samsonova, and would make it 4-0 if they meet.
Quarter finalist for Gauff is seeded to be three time major finalist Ons Jabeur (8).
Jabeur, apart from quarters in Madrid, hasn’t had any results to suggest she will do damage in Paris.
Aryna Sabalenka faces lowly ranked Erika Andreeva in round one, then a qualifier.
Third round could be any of Katie Boulter (26), Paula Badosa, Yulia Putintseva, or Sloane Stephens.
Sabalenka hasn’t lost to Boulter or Stephens, and has won the last four times against Badosa.
Putintseva won the only time she has played Sabalenka, but that was five years ago in the US Open.
Round of sixteen opponent likely to be Madison Keys (14).
Keys just won the Strasbourg title, and poses a real danger.
Roland Garros semi finalist in 2018 and quarter finalist the next year.
Sabalenka has a 3-1 record against Keys - the last two were victories for Sabalenka in 2023 Wimbledon quarters and 2023 US Open semis.
Quarter final for Sabalenka drawn against Maria Sakkari (6)
The only substantial Roland Garros performance from Sakkari was a semi finalist in 2021.
Danger for Sakkari may come from Daria Kasatkina (10), Roland Garros semi finalist in 2022.
Sabalenka has both covered.
Elena Rybakina has Greet Minnen first up, and then probably three time major winner Angelique Kerber.
Kerber made the round of sixteen in Rome before losing to eventual winner Swiatek.
Rybakina won their only meeting in a 2022 Billie Jean King Cup qualifier.
Third round match should be against Elise Mertens (25).
Mertens made the Roland Garros round of sixteen in 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Rybakina has a 4-1 record against Mertens, including a win in Brisbane earlier this year.
Round of sixteen may see Elina Svitolina (15) face Rybakina.
Svitolina was a Roland Garros quarter finalist last year, and three times before that.
Svitolina has a 2-1 record against Rybakina, but they haven’t played each other since the Olympics in 2021.
Rybakina will prevail here.
Quarter final opponent likely to be either Zheng Qinwen (7) or Jasmine Paolini (12).
Paolini would need to improve on her Roland Garros record, not having passed the second round in previous attempts.
Zheng made the round of sixteen in 2022.
This part of the draw seems short on threats, with Zheng the one having best claims to a quarter final.
Rybakina has won both matches played between her and Zheng Qinwen.
Predictions:
Semi finals:
Iga Swiatek (1) to defeat CoCo Gauff (3)
Aryna Sabalenka (2) to defeat Elena Rybakina (4)
Final:
Iga Swiatek (1) to defeat Aryna Sabalenka (2)
