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Elena Rybakina has been dealt with a difficult draw at the 2024 French Open and will have to come out all guns blazing from the opening round itself to make a deep run.
Although the Kazakh has been in scintillating form throughout the year, having won three titles and making deep runs in several tournaments, her issues with illness have been a huge impediment leading to her absence from many high-profile tournaments.
At the European clay court swing this year, Elena Rybakina had a phenomenal start, winning the Stuttgart Open by defeating two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek along the way. She fell to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals in Madrid and had to withdraw from the Italian Open due to illness.
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Let's have a look at the Kazakh's Roland Garros draw. She is the fourth seed and is placed in the bottom half of the draw
R1 opponent - Greet Minnen
An opponent Elena Rybakina hasn't faced in a long time, Greet Minnen will be a good test for the Kazakh in the opening round as she tries to get her footing right in the Paris Major.
Possible R2 opponent - Angelique Kerber
Elena Rybakina could face three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, who will face Arantxa Rus in her opener, in the second round. However, the Kazakh can find some relief in the fact that the Paris Major has been the German's weakest out of all four Slams.
The two women have met once in their careers with Rybakina winning the match in three sets.
Possible R3 opponent - Elise Mertens
Elena Rybakina could meet another Belgian in the third round if Elise Mertens manages to win her opening two rounds. Mertens is well known for mastery in doubles, but that doesn't mean her prowess in singles can be taken lightly. Although the Kazakh leads their head-to-head 4-1, the only win the Belgian scored came on their only meeting on clay.
Other possible opponents for Rybakina in the third round could be Petra Martic or Maria Lourdes Carle.
Possible R4 opponent - Elina Svitolina/Karolina Pliskova
Things will become interesting in the fourth round as the tournament will have seen some shocking results on one hand, and some favorites cruising through on the other.
Elena Rybakina could face Elina Svitolina, who is a lethal player with immense potential to take out top seeds. Although it has been a long time since they have faced each other, Svitolina edges their head-to-head record at 2-1.
Some other possible opponents for the Kazakh are Karolina Pliskova, who plays Svitolina in the opener, and 20th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Possible QF opponent - Zheng Qinwen/Anna Kalinskaya
Waiting for Rybakina in the quarterfinals could be the 2024 Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen, who has been having a breakthrough season. Although the Kazakh has won both her matches against the Chinese, it still wouldn't be wise to think of the matchup as favorable for Rybakina given the incredible year Qinwen has had.
Also awaiting the World No.4 could be the 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya, who has been a trouble for the Kazakh in the past. The duo have met four times with both women winning two matches each.
Possible SF opponent - Aryna Sabalenka/Maria Sakkari/Victoria Azarenka
Elena Rybakina could face one of her biggest rivals Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, in the semifinals. The duo has produced epic matchups in recent years and will look to defeat the other to have a shot at the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.
However, in the off chance that Sabalenka is eliminated early, other possible threats for the Kazakh could be Maria Sakkari, who has been steadily improving her game, or veteran player Victoria Azarenka, who has found her mojo back.
A surprise opponent for Rybakina in the semifinals could be Daria Kasatkina, who has also been playing the best tennis of her career in recent times.
Possible Final opponent - Iga Swiatek/Coco Gauff
It will be hard to bet against the two-time defending champion in Paris but provided Elena Rybakina reaches the final, she has proven that she has the game to defeat Iga Swiatek on her forte. The Kazakh is also one of the few players to have a favorable head-to-head against the Pole leading 4-2.
On the off-chance that Swiatek fails to make it to the final, Coco Gauff will be a possible opponent in the summit clash for Rybakina. Other surprises for Elena Rybakina in the final could be the in-form Danielle Collins, Ons Jabeur, and Marketa Vondrousova.
