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As the claycourt swing nears its conclusion, the spotlight will be on the 125th edition of Roland Garros, which begins on May 30.
Headlining the women's draw at this year's tournament will be top seed Ashleigh Barty and last year's winner Iga Swiatek, who will be joined by top names including Serena Williams, Garbine Muguruza, Petra Kvitova, Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka.
With less than a week left for main draw action to start at Roland Garros, we rank the top eight contenders for the title based on their performances during the clay swing over the last three years.
#8 Paula Badosa
One of the most in-form players on the tour right now, Paula Badosa will definitely be one to watch out for at Roland Garros this year.
With a title in Parma and semifinal runs at Charleston and Madrid, she has had the perfect preparation for the French Open. A ranking of No. 34 might not be enough for her to be seeded, but Badosa will be a dangerous floater that all the top names will hope to avoid early.
#7 Sofia Kenin
Sofia Kenin has had her fair share of struggles this season. The American underwent an emergency appendectomy at the end of the Australian Open, where she failed to defend her crown, and hasn't quite found her footing since her return.
Her run to the final at Roland Garros last year was enough to secure Kenin a spot on this list, but the American will have to sort out her mental and physical issues quickly if she is to make a deep run in Paris.
#6 Petra Kvitova
Petra Kvitova has had a mixed run on clay this season. The Czech made it to the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and Madrid, but then suffered a second-round exit in Rome.
That said, the 2020 Roland Garros semifinalist has provided ample evidence of her ability to hit through most opponents on the red dirt. Consistent showings at major claycourt events in the last two years - including a title run at the 2019 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix - validate Kvitova's claim to be a top contender.
#5 Elina Svitolina
Elina Svitolina has always been one of the most consistent performers on the tour, especially during the claycourt swing. However, she is yet to truly make an impact at Grand Slam events.
Back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in Rome, a title at the 2019 Internationaux de Strasbourg and a last-eight finish at Roland Garros 2020 were enough to secure the No. 5 spot on the list.
With a game tailor-made for slower surfaces, Svitolina will hope to make her presence felt at this year's tournament.
#4 Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova hasn't always produced her best performances in Paris, but the Czech's displays at the Italian Open, where she has made the final in each of the last three years, are testament to her abilities on clay.
Pliskova may have suffered a double bagel at the hands of Iga Swiatek in the Rome final, but her performances leading up to the decider would have filled the former World No. 1 with confidence.
#3 Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka looks primed for success at Roland Garros this year. The big-hitting Belarusian heads to Paris with plenty of momentum after a run to the final at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and a title at the Madrid Open, where she upset World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty.
Sabalenka has the power to blow any opponent off the court and if she hits her stride, she will be hard to stop.
#2 Ashleigh Barty
The 2019 French Open champion Ashleigh Barty has been in top form throughout the clay season. Finals appearances in Stuttgart and Madrid helped the Australian strengthen her hold over the No. 1 ranking and she will enter Roland Garros as the top seed.
Having skipped her Roland Garros title defence in 2020, Barty will be keen to recapture her crown this year.
#1 Iga Swiatek
Defending champion Iga Swiatek will definitely be the one to beat at this year's tournament. The Polish youngster is riding a wave of momentum after lifting the WTA 1000 crown in Rome earlier this month.
All eyes will be on the 19-year-old in Paris, but Swiatek insists she is not overawed by the prospect of defending her title.
"I wasn’t thinking about it a lot because, really, I don’t know what’s going to happen," she said. "I’m just trying to remind myself that many players, as Sofia [Kenin] said, are struggling with that [nerves in defending first Slam]. So maybe it will be the best option to ... be there and see how it is. Play your game."
Swiatek's fortnight in Rome, where she was able to find ways to win matches even when she wasn't playing her best tennis, will hold her in good stead heading to Roland Garros.
Honourable mentions
The likes of Coco Gauff, Petra Martic, Marketa Vondrousova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Jessica Pegula have had solid results on clay this year, while former winners Serena Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Jelena Ostapenko can never be counted out.
