RG 2022: Who are the women's favourites?

Iga Swiatek (POL)

A central theme of women's tennis in 2022: Iga Swiatek is in a class of her own.

When Ashleigh Barty announced her sudden retirement from tennis in late March, the Pole immediately took the reins and became the fourth woman in history to claim the coveted Indian Wells-Miami Double. She would rise to No.1 the following Monday, and has remained undefeated since.

After sauntering through the clay season, where the soon to be 21-year-old claimed titles in Stuttgart and Rome, Swiatek is in pole position as she begins her quest for a second major title.

Record at Roland-Garros: 14-2

Record in 2022: 37-3

Clay record in 2022: 9-0

Number of clay titles won: 4

Ons Jabeur (TUN)

Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur has made a habit of exceeding expectations over the last two seasons.

The first Arab woman to win a WTA title and first Arab ever to crack the top-10, Jabeur is now coming into her own on the clay.

She has put up a tour-leading 17 wins (17-3 overall) on the surface in 2022, including a spectacular run to the Madrid title, where she became the first African woman to win a WTA 1000 crown.

Though she lost to Swiatek in last week's Rome final, Jabeur made it clear that she has the game to bother the Pole. The 2011 Roland-Garros girls' singles champion is aware that if she earns the right to face Swiatek in Paris, she'll have to trust herself and seize the opportunity.

"I didn't really doubt myself, but I should have believed more," Jabeur said after falling to Swiatek in Rome. Next time, she hopes, will be different.

Record at Roland-Garros: 8-4

Record in 2022: 25-8

Clay record in 2022: 17-3

Number of clay titles won: 1

Paula Badosa (ESP)

24-year-old Paula Badosa has been a consistent force on clay over the last three years, and her steady play on the surface is one of the biggest reasons she currently holds down the WTA's No.3 ranking.

Badosa, who had never finished a season ranked higher than 70 prior to 2021, has won 29 of 38 matches on clay since 2020. She broke through to reach the quarter-finals in Paris in 2021, and if her stunning power game falls into place this year on the terre battue, she could surpass her own high standard.

Record at Roland-Garros: 7-2

Record in 2022: 22-10

Clay record in 2022: 6-4

Number of clay titles won: 1

Aryna Sabalenka

Recent signs point to a revival for Aryna Sabalenka.

The 24-year-old slipped in the rankings in 2022 - from No.2 to No.7 - as her confidence plunged simultaneously, but a recent trip to the final in Stuttgart and the semi-final in Rome have put the power baseliner back on the map.

If she can persist with her recent form in the French capital, Sabalenka is more than equipped to make a run.

Record at Roland-Garros: 5-4

Record in 2022: 13-11

Clay record in 2022: 7-4

Number of clay titles won: 1

The best of the rest

Perched just a sliver outside the top-10, American Jessica Pegula has been a rising force on all surfaces of late.

This spring she expanded her run of form to clay by reaching the final at Madrid. She has yet to make it past the third round at Roland-Garros, but the 28-year-old appears primed for a breakout.

Steady results have proven elusive for Greece's Maria Sakkari on the clay this spring, but the world No.4 loves the conditions in Paris. She made that clear in 2021 when she held match point in the semi-finals against eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. Sakkari hit her stride earlier in 2022, reaching her biggest final to date at Indian Wells - a sign that she's not far from her best this spring.

18-year-old Coco Gauff, who reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland-Garros before falling to Krejcikova in 2021, has won 17 of her last 22 matches on clay. Her next big breakthrough is coming, the only question is when.