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The French Open, which is played on the most demanding surface, often throws up some surprises in the women's section.
Since Serena Williams captured the last of her three French Open titles in 2015, the next five winners on the Parisian clay have all been first-time Grand Slam champions.
Garbine Muguruza ended the American's dominance a year later to announce her arrival on the big stage. That was followed by unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko sending shockwaves through the tennis world by snatching the French Open title from Simona Halep's clutches in 2017.
Halep would redeem herself the following season, beating Sloane Stephens from a set and a break down to win her first French Open title. Ashleigh Barty joined the winner's circle in unexpected fashion in 2019.
However, the Australian would not return to defend her French Open title in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opening the door for Iga Swiatek to continue the trend of new Grand Slam champions as she rose from a relatively unknown teenager to superstardom.
With this year's French Open fast approaching, here is a list of five women who could win their maiden Grand Slam in Paris.
#1 Aryna Sabalenka
It feels strange to include Aryna Sabalenka on this list given the number of times she has been touted to go all the way but failed spectacularly.
However, she has made substantial improvements to her claycourt game this year. Sabalenka has always possessed the power to blow her opponents off the court but the Belarusian has added new layers to her game this season, including the dropshot which she used to good effect during her title run in Madrid.
Sabalenka's failure at Grand Slams can be attributed to two factors: tough draws --she has lost to quality opponents like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka -- and a lack of composure during big moments.
However, she seems to have worked on the mental aspects of her game and that should hold her in good stead heading into Paris.
Did you know: Aryna Sabalenka won the first non-hardcourt title of her career at the Madrid Open. She did not drop a set en route to the final, where she ended Ashleigh Barty's 16-match winning streak on red clay.
#2 Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2019, when, as a 15-year-old, she made a spectacular run to the last 16. The American has continued to develop her game over the last couple of seasons, banishing doubts that she could be a one-hit wonder.
Gauff will arrive at the French Open on the back of the most productive claycourt season of her nascent career. She reached the biggest semifinal of her career at the Italian Open, notching up victories over Yulia Putintseva, Maria Sakkari and Aryna Sabalenka on the way.
She kicked on in Parma a week later, winning both the singles and doubles titles.
The 17-year-old is easily one of the brightest prospects of her generation, and currently only Iga Swiatek eclipses Gauff on the list of teenage favorites to win the French Open. In fact, Swiatek is the oddsmakers' favorite to defend her title.
Did you know: Sitting at a career-high ranking of 25, Gauff will be seeded at the French Open for the first time in her Grand Slam career. She is also the youngest American to reach the top 25 since Serena Williams in 1998.
#3 Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula has won more tour-level matches this year than in any other season. Remarkably, five of her 21 wins have come against top 10 opposition, including her most recent victory against Naomi Osaka in Rome.
Over the last few years, American tennis players have tended to struggle on slower surfaces. Apart from Serena Williams, the only American female player to win the French Open in the last 20 years is Jennifer Capriati.
Pegula has garnered some excellent wins on clay this season, although her game still needs plenty of fine-tuning. Her second serve, in particular, needs a significant upgrade. However, her firepower from the back of the court and her brilliant defensive skills make up for her weaker serve.
Can she do the unthinakable at Roland Garros? The American has never won a match before in the tournament; in her last two appearances she lost to Ashleigh Barty and Aryna Sabalenka. This time around, she will be seeded, ensuring a relatively smoother passage through the competition.
#4 Paula Badosa
After a string of semifinal losses, Paula Badosa finally managed to cross the finish line at the Serbia Ladies Open. She won her maiden WTA title in Belgrade after Ana Konjuh retired from the final due to injury while trailing 6-2 2-0.
The manner of the victory should not take the gloss away from what was a tremendous week for the Spaniard. She extended her imperious record on clay to 13-2 which includes back-to-back semifinal finishes in Charleston and Madrid.
Paula Badosa did not have the perfect preparation for the Australian Open as she tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and was subsequently required to withdraw from all tuneup events. That will not be the case in Paris, where she arrives ranked a career-high 34.
Did you know: Paula Badosa is one of only two players to beat Ashleigh Barty in a completed match during the claycourt swing. The Manhattan-born Spaniard shocked the World No. 1 on the green clay of Charleston in April.
#5 Veronika Kudermetova
Veronika Kudermetova has been one of the standout performers of 2021. She won a second career title on the green clay in Charleston and backed up that success with a semifinal showing in Istanbul and third-round finishes in Madrid and Rome.
Two of those three defeats were at the hands of Petra Kvitova and Ashleigh Barty. If she can navigate her way past the opening week of the French Open, Kudermetova will fancy her chances of causing a few upsets.
A monstrous first serve and bludgeoning forehand are the hallmarks of her game. Kudermetova has served the second most aces in 2021 (166), and has won 69% of first-serve points.
Did you know: Sitting at No. 30 in the world rankings (just two spots below her career-high), Kudermetova is currently the top-ranked Russian player on the WTA tour.
