4 Early Picks To Win Women’s French Open In 2022

The 2022 women’s tennis season has given us a clear and dominant No. 1 player. Ashleigh Barty was the top seed at the Australian Open, and she roared through the tournament, failing to lose a single set. She won all 14 sets she played and claimed her third major title, her first in Australia and on hardcourts. Barty was injured in last year’s French Open, and she was therefore not able to make a deep run in the tournament. Who will be the foremost favorites to win this championship in 2022?

Ashleigh Barty

Though clay is not her best surface, Barty won Roland Garros in 2019, so she has already shown she can win this tournament. Moreover, Barty has made the finals of multiple clay tournaments in the past 12 months. She had a solid clay run last year before injuries halted her progress. Barty has won at least one major championship on all three surfaces – clay, grass, and hardcourts – so her game translates to every surface. She is a thoroughly competent and controlled player who knows what to do on the court and doesn’t get rattled. She will certainly be in the mix in Paris, even though there are other players who can be considered clay-court experts.

Iga Swiatek

The 2020 Roland Garros champion almost met Barty in the Australian Open final. She came one match short, losing to Danielle Collins in the semifinals. That was Swiatek’s best result at a non-French Open major tournament, which sends the signal to the rest of the WTA Tour that Swiatek is evolving and growing as a tennis player. That’s scary news ahead of the French Open, where Swiatek will be playing on her best surface. Her shots are electric, and clay rewards the power and spin of her shots. She won the 2020 Roland Garros title without losing a set, so in 2021, everyone was out for her and prepared to give her a battle. She lost in the quarterfinals after playing less than her best tennis. In 2022, she is primed to play better and get back to the final. It is very hard to bet against her at this point, though we will need to see what happens in the clay season to gather more information.

Barbora Krejcikova

The defending champion at the French Open reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne before losing to Madison Keys. Krejcikova has shown she is a factor on all surfaces and should be taken seriously as a contender in Paris this spring. Yet, her presence as defending champion does mean she will get the treatment Swiatek received one year ago. Krejcikova is one of the top favorites, but not the number one favorite. It will be fascinating to see how she handles the pressure and scrutiny in Paris.

Paula Badosa

Though the Spaniard has never reached the semifinals of any major tournament, she is excellent on clay, having made a deep run in Madrid last May before then making the French Open quarterfinals. Badosa has risen into the top 10 and won the Indian Wells hardcourt title last October. She is steadily rising in the sport, and no expert would be hugely surprised if she won the French Open this year.