Iga Swiatek will begin her pursuit of history at Roland Garros, as she bids to become the first woman in the Open Era to win four consecutive French Open titles.
Swiatek has a difficult draw, but will still be among the heavy favourites to hold the trophy aloft on Court Philippe Chatrier.
She is a five-time Grand Slam champion, with four of her crowns coming on the clay courts in Paris.
The defending champion has struggled in her clay swing so far, however, having crashed out in the third round of the Italian Open, where Swiatek lost to Danielle Collins.
Her dip in form has led 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert to believe that the Pole’s chances of winning the second major of the year may be in doubt.
Chris Evert says Iga Swiatek has ‘lost confidence’ ahead of Roland Garros
Speaking on Swiatek‘s current game ahead of the tournament, Evert said: “It’s not just about Iga’s form coming into this, it’s about the fact that in the last year she hasn’t won a tournament.
“This time last year, she was ranked number one in the world, dominant on clay, had just won the French Open, she hasn’t won a title since then, so that’s praying on her, it’s really weighing on her mind right now.
“She’s playing with a little more stress, and you can see it, a little more emotion. She’s kind of lost her game a little bit along the way, so there’s some trouble there, and she’s got to reset and figure this out.”
“She’s lost confidence, and she has lost that belief. She was invincible on clay. She stepped out on the court, and she knew she was gonna win matches. She knew she was gonna out-steady her opponent.”
“She has dropped off. Now that’s not to say that she cannot get it back, because I believe in her and this clay court at Roland Garros is a slower clay court, and she could very well find her game, but it’s gonna take a lot of mental toughness on her part.”
When asked if her record of seven Roland Garros titles can be broken, Evert answered: “100%, and I told her a couple of years ago when i presented her the trophy, I hope you break my record, because i won it seven times but it definitely is breakable, and records are meant to be broken. She can definitely break it.”
Chris Evert says one of five women can win Roland Garros
Giving her predictions for the French Open, Evert said: “To me, one of five women could win this.
“Iga Swiatek. She’s won this title four times. I think [Aryna] Sabalenka is learning to play better on clay, she’s showing more consistency.
“Coco Gauff, she’s finally got that forehand straightened out, and she’s looking really good. [Jasmine] Paolini, how can you count her out? She won Rome.
“And Madison Keys, she won the Australian, I don’t think you can count her out as well.”
Evert’s top picks make up five of the world’s top 10 players ranked by the WTA.
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