Rating the highest 10 males’s and girls’s French Open contenders

Regardless of the dominance established by the Large Three of the ATP, the 2019 French Open guarantees to be probably the most aggressive one in years. That is not simply because Rafael Nadal seems extra weak than typical, it is also as a result of Roger Federer is again, and a slew of youthful gamers continues to enhance and threaten the established order.

The WTA palette has much more colours, with at the least a dozen severe contenders in a season throughout which the primary 17 tournaments went previous and not using a repeat winner. Now there are three repeat winners: Karolina Pliskova, Petra Kvitova and Kiki Bertens.

The French Open organizers seed primarily based instantly on the rankings of the gamers. However that does not let you know the actual pecking order at Roland Garros. So in our ranking of the highest 10 males’s and girls’s contenders, we’re ignoring the world rankings and seedings and itemizing them in descending order, including a number of ideas on their respective attracts in addition to a stat of observe for every courtesy of ESPN Stats & Data analysis.

Bounce to:
Girls’s high 10

Rafael Nadal could also be seeded No. 2, however he stays the person to beat at Roland Garros. Francisco Seco/AP Picture

Males’s high 10

1. Rafael Nadal

French Open seed: No. 2

Outlook: Nadal is striving for his 12th French Open title, however he is not embarking on the search with as commanding a presence as in previous years. He could not ask for a greater begin: dealing with qualifiers in his first two rounds.

Cash stat: Nadal has 11 French Open titles, tied with Margaret Courtroom (11, Australian Open) for many by a males’s or girls’s participant at one Grand Slam.

2 Associated

2. Novak Djokovic

French Open seed: No. 1

Outlook: If the highest seed goes to finish a second “Djoker Slam” (a win in Paris means he’ll maintain all 4 main titles on the similar time) he should be sharp proper out of the gate. Hubert Hurkacz is a troublesome first-rounder, and Djokovic may play hard-serving Sam Querrey subsequent.

Cash stat: Djokovic is 14-Three on clay prior to now yr, the second-best win share, behind Nadal.

Three. Dominic Thiem

French Open seed: No. Four

Outlook: Thiem would be the dark-horse decide of many pundits, and the 25-year-old Austrian has seemed sharp this clay-court season. American wild card Tommy Paul, who gained the junior title in Paris in 2015, can be hoping for a sensational first-round upset.

Cash stat: Thiem was the French Open runner-up in 2018 and has reached at the least the semis in every of the previous three years.

Four. Stefanos Tsitsipas

French Open seed: No. 6

Outlook: The “Greek Freak” has rocketed up within the rankings, with current clay-court victories over Nadal and Alexander Zverev. Seeded No. 6, he ought to have the ability to combat by way of to satisfy former French Open champ Stan Wawrinka within the third spherical.

Cash stat: Tsitsipas is 23-12 (.657) in his ATP Tour profession on clay, his greatest profitable share on any floor.

5. Roger Federer

French Open seed: No. Three

Outlook: Followers are salivating over the prospect of one more showdown with Nadal within the semifinals, however it’s an enormous ask of the Swiss star. He’s seeded No. Three however can be 37 years previous and taking part in in his first French Open since dropping within the quarterfinals in 2015. Lorenzo Sonego, Federer’s first-round foe, is taking part in properly, with current victories over fellow Italian Andreas Seppi and No. 10 seed Karen Khachanov.

Cash stat: Federer is Four-1 on clay this season after not taking part in any matches on the floor in 2017 and 2018.

6. Juan Martin del Potro

French Open seed: No. eight

Outlook: Del Potro, a former semifinalist at Roland Garros, has been on the point of an enormous win for a very long time. Chile’s Nicolas Jarry is a troublesome first-round opponent, although. Del Potro’s quarter of the draw is loaded with huge servers — together with Ivo Karlovic, No. 22 seed Lucas Pouille, No. 10 Khachanov and Canadian sensation and No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime — however he can deal with their energy.

Cash stat: Del Potro has performed solely seven singles matches to this point in 2019 and has not superior previous the quarterfinals at any of the three tournaments he has performed.

7. Alexander Zverev

French Open seed: No. 5

Outlook: Though the lanky, 22-year-old German has struggled of late, he is a cool buyer and has already gained three Masters 1000 titles, together with two on clay. He has had bother assembly his seeding at Slams, nevertheless.

Cash stat: Zverev reached the quarterfinals on the French Open in 2018, the furthest he has superior at a Grand Slam in his profession.

eight. Gael Monfils

French Open seed: No. 14

Outlook: May this thrilling shotmaker, who’s wholesome once more, give the French their first male winner on this match since Yannick Noah in 1983? Whereas seeded solely No. 14, Monfils is all the time impressed at Roland Garros, the place he made the semis in 2008 and the quarters on three different events. He ought to get by Japan’s Taro Daniel in his first match, and would face a qualifier or fellow Frenchman Adrian Mannarino subsequent.

Cash stat: Monfils has gained 35.9 p.c of his first-serve return factors on clay over the previous yr, the fifth-best charge on tour.

9. Daniil Medvedev

French Open seed: No. 12

Outlook: The 23-year-old Russian has made a behavior of taking part in constant tennis, and his floor sport is rock stable. The house crowd can be behind his first-round opponent, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, with Benoit Paire, one other Frenchman, a second-round risk.

Cash stat: Medvedev beat Djokovic on clay at Monte Carlo earlier this yr however is simply 10-15 (.400) in his ATP profession on clay — the one floor on which he has misplaced extra matches than he has gained (Zero-2 at French Open).

10. Fabio Fognini

French Open seed: No. 9

Outlook: Few would decide him to win the match, however the No. 9 seed had a breakthrough when he lately gained the Monte Carlo Masters. Fognini is a disruptive genius who may pose a risk to Djokovic within the quarterfinals. He has a troublesome first match towards compatriot Andreas Seppi.

Cash stat: Fognini has his greatest profitable share on clay (.592) and has gained 32.5 p.c of his return video games on clay over the previous yr, sixth-best on tour.

Simona Halep will face strain in Paris because the defending French Open champion. Jean Catuffe/Getty Photos

Girls’s high 10

1. Simona Halep

French Open seed: No. Three

Outlook: The defending champion has performed pretty properly this spring, however she took a troublesome loss to No. Four Kiki Bertens in Madrid and suffered a first-round exit in Rome. Halep will really feel quite a lot of strain as defending champ, but when she survives first-round jitters towards Ajla Tomljanovic, she may have clear crusing till the quarterfinals.

Cash stat: Halep is the defending French Open champion and a three-time finalist however has not gained a match in 2019 (Zero-2 in finals).

2. Karolina Pliskova

French Open seed: No. 2

Outlook: The strain can be on the second seed, however she was spectacular in profitable the Italian Open and may have sufficient confidence to get by way of a first-rounder with Madison Brengle. She may meet former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who’s on the comeback path at 33 years previous, within the second spherical.

Cash stat: Pliskova gained the newest match she performed (Rome), and her 252 aces in 2019 are probably the most on tour.

Three. Kiki Bertens

French Open seed: No. Four

Outlook: She has come on like gangbusters this yr, constructing on her breakthrough to the highest 10 final yr and proving she’s no fluke. The 6-foot, 27-year-old Bertens has been to the semis (2016) at Roland Garros. Pauline Parmentier ought to pose no drawback within the first spherical, though she could have the house crowd behind her.

Cash stat: Bertens has 12 wins on clay this season, tied for many on tour, and has gained two titles this yr.

Four. Petra Kvitova

French Open seed: No. 6

Outlook: She’s stronger than her seeding suggests, regardless that she has been so far as the fourth spherical on the French simply as soon as since she made the semis in 2012. She’s a streaky participant topic to hitting dangerous patches, however she ought to get previous Sorana Cirstea within the first spherical.

Cash stat: Kvitova is No. Four on the WTA’s clay-court Energy Rankings.

5. Naomi Osaka

French Open seed: No. 1

Outlook: The highest seed gained some very beneficial — and much-needed — clay-court expertise this spring. Her opener towards No. 92 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova will take a look at her nerves, however she has the firepower to beat these standing in the best way of a possible fourth-round conflict with No. 14 seed Madison Keys.

Cash stat: Osaka is attempting to hitch Serena Williams as the one girls to win three consecutive Grand Slams prior to now 20 years, however she has by no means superior previous the spherical of 32 in three French Open appearances.

6. Sloane Stephens

French Open seed: No. 7

Outlook: Final yr’s French Open runner-up, Grand Slam champion, former No. 1 … positive, Stephens has had disappointing outcomes of late, however her silky sport is great on clay. If she will get by way of her first match with Misaki Doi, she could possibly be taking a look at a fourth-round assembly with former champion — and No. 19 seed — Garbine Muguruza.

Cash stat: Stephens has gained 20 profession matches on the French Open, greater than at every other Grand Slam.

7. Madison Keys

French Open seed: No. 14

Outlook: Keys has misplaced a few powerful three-setters in Europe, however she gained on clay (albeit the quicker Har-Tru clay fashionable within the U.S.) at Charleston in April. She was a semifinalist at Roland Garros final yr, and her first-round opponent, Evgeniya Rodina, hasn’t been taking part in properly.

Cash stat: Keys had 20 aces on clay in a match in Rome, tied for probably the most by any participant in a WTA match this season.

eight. Belinda Bencic

French Open seed: No. 15

Outlook: The resurgent Swiss participant has a brilliant report towards top-10 opponents this yr (7-Four). She has by no means gone past the second spherical at Roland Garros, however her health and confidence have improved. Getting French wild card Jessika Ponchet as a primary opponent is a present, and Stephens, Muguruza and No. 9 Elina Svitolina (all in her quarter) have not precisely been lighting up attracts.

Cash stat: Bencic has 5 wins (5-1) vs. top-five opponents in 2019, probably the most such victories of anybody on tour.

9. Ashleigh Barty

French Open seed: No. eight

Outlook: Though the diminutive Aussie hasn’t punched by way of to a closing since profitable in Miami and may not really feel completely snug on clay, she has large selection and may run all day. Her first match can be towards American Jessica Pegula in 1 / 4 of the draw that has a dearth of confirmed clay consultants.

Cash stat: Barty is 24-5 this yr, the fifth-most wins on tour in 2019.

10. Serena Williams

French Open seed: No. 10

Outlook: Everyone knows what Williams is able to doing, however the backside line is that she has needed to withdraw with harm or sickness from her previous three tournaments — in addition to final yr’s French Open. Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia is a beatable first-round opponent, however we don’t know about Williams’ bodily state.

Cash stat: Williams is 108-30 (.782) all-time on clay, second in WTA historical past.

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