The 2021 French Open moves back into its regularly scheduled slot as the second Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season. Action in the women’s tournament gets underway with qualifying matches on May 24 and the main draw begins on May 30.
The tournament, which is held annually at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, will run through June 13 when finals matches will be played. Poland’s Iga Swiatek will attempt to repeat as the French Open champion.
Repeat Not Likely
Swiatek, the first Polish female to win any Grand Slam tennis event, is the presumptive favorite at +250. The thing is there hasn’t been a repeat French Open women’s singles champion since Justine Henin won three straight from 2005 to 2007.
The only female in the tournament with more than one French Open title is 39-year-old Serena Williams. Williams is listed at +1550 to win, but she has not won a singles title this season. She did make the semifinals of the Australian Open but lost to eventual champion Naomi Osaka.
Williams won the French in 2013 and again in 2015, but she hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open.
Top Contenders
If you’re looking for contenders to beat Swiatek, look no further than the past champions of the French Open. The past two winners, Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep, are given the best odds to dethrone Swiatek.
Barty is the world’s top-ranked player and has won three singles titles already in 2021. That is why she is listed at +450 to win this year’s French Open. She won the event in 2019.
Simona Halep won it in 2018 after losing in the final in 2017. Halep is ranked No. 3 in the world and has yet to win a singles tournament this season. She lost in the quarterfinals to Williams at the Australian Open and her best finish thus far in 2021 was a semifinal appearance at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Germany.
The Surprises
Aryna Sabalenka (+700) is the world’s fourth-ranked player with two singles titles this season. She has lost twice to Barty this season but did manage to beat her in the Madrid Open final at the beginning of May.
Sabalenka has also lost twice to Garbine Muguruza, who has just one singles title this season and is ranked No. 13 in the world. Muguruza, who is given +850 odds to win this year’s French Open, also has another title under her belt. She won the French Open in 2016 defeating Williams 7-5, 6-4.
The Longshot
The one player that is getting lost in the mix in this year’s French Open is the same player that made it to last year’s final only to lose in straight sets to Swiatek. Sofia Kenin is ranked No. 5 in the world, but has struggled in 2021.
She is listed at +2000 and remember, she won the Australian Open in 2020 before making last year’s French Open final.
Best Bet to Win 2021 French Open (Women’s Singles)
It’s difficult enough playing on clay. When you add in the pressure of trying to win a French Open in consecutive years, it makes it even harder. While Swiatek is the favorite, look at one of the previous winners for more value.
There is a reason why Barty is the No. 1-ranked player in the world. With three singles titles under her belt already this season and a 2019 win at Roland Garros, back Barty in 2021.
Odds to Win 2021 Women’s French Open
Iga Swiatek +250
Ashleigh Barty +450
Simona Halep +500
Aryna Sabalenka +700
Garbine Muguruza +850
Naomi Osaka +1150
Serena Williams +1550
Bianca Andreescu +1750
Elina Svitolina +1750
Petra Kvitona +1750
Sofia Kenin +2000
Victoria Azarenka +2000
Elena Rybakina +2000
Karolina Pliskova +2300
Maria Sakkari +2300
