A three-way contest between Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina is expected at Roland Garros according to Barbara Schett.
Yet Tim Henman believes world number one Swiatek is the stand-alone favourite. The trio have dominated women's singles in the 2023 season and Aryna Sabalenka sealed the first Grand Slam this year after she beat Rybakina in the Australian Open final.
But, Aryna Sabalenka has battled back to win two WTA 1000 events, Indian Wells and the Italian Open, while Swiatek has won the Qatar Open and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
With the three players battling for the top spot in the women's game, all eyes will be on the group at the 2023 French Open. However, with the trio at the top of their game, former world number seven Schett said to the media ahead of Roland Garros that choosing a winner from the players is a tough ask as they all motivate each other to find a new level.
"It's between Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina,"
"I think it’s good for Iga to have these two players [Sabalenka and Rybakina] that can challenge her and make her stay at the No. 1 spot. Rafa [Nadal], Roger [Federer] and Novak [Djokovic] fuelled each other to become better players, and hopefully, we can see that on the women’s side."
Ultimately, Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina are all in with a chance to win at Roland Garros this year after impressive early season form. However, former British number one Henman feels that Swiatek might just edge the competition.
"She works so hard in every area. Athletically she is improving all the time and she is spending a lot of time and effort improving mentally. She has a great team, and she is playing great. On clay, she hits the ball very hard but still has a margin for error and I definitely think she is the favourite."
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