The French Open is just around the corner, with the qualifying round starting on May 20th and both the men’s and women’s singles starting on May 26 at the Stade Roland Garros
While the men’s singles show a crowded field of strong players, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev, in the women’s singles, Iga Świątek, the latest WTA world number one, overwhelms her rivals on winner’s prediction on bookmaker odds and looks most likely to win the title.
There are several players who can potentially give Świątek tough time, like Alina Sabalenka, Elena Levakina, and Kori Gauf to name a few, but the most interesting of them all is Naomi Osaka, who is returning to the court in Paris for the first time in two years.
The Power House With Two Grand Slam Crowns
Born to a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother, Osaka has so far won four Grand Slam titles: 2018 and 2020 US Open and 2019 and 2021 Australian Open. She is considered one of the best active players on the WTA Tour, winning a total of seven times and reaching the very top in the singles ranking of January 28th, 2019.
This would be her first time to win a French Open title if she makes her way up to the center of the podium. Her return to France has Japanese fans sending their prayers of support. As of May 15th, bookmakers offering odds on the French Open in Japan are giving her odds of 26.00 to win the tournament, the ninth position overall.
The gap is indeed large between the bookmaker’s absolute favorite, Iga Świątek’s odds of 1.90, but as far as Osaka’s capacity is concerned, she definitely has a shot to snatch the title if she can own the tide at the beginning of the match. If she can take the third Grand Slam title here, people will for sure remember this as a very dramatic win for a long time.
Long Pause And Come-Back
Before her second-round match at the French Open in 2021, Osaka abstained, revealing that she had been suffering from depression since 2018. That year, she announced her long-term withdrawal after failing to win major tournaments such as the Olympics and the U.S. Open.
In 2022, Osaka won the Miami Open, but frequent injuries prevented her from using her full potential, and the following year in 2023, she announced she was pregnant and again took a months-long break.
It was not until the Brisbane International in 2024 that Osaka returned to the WTA Tour. Since then, the 26-year-old has played a total of six tournaments and will be steadily getting back to the condition she was in before her break.
Reaching the Third Round At the Italian Open
We have seen from many athletes how difficult it is to get back to one’s peak condition after a long break. But they have also proven that it is not impossible.
Prior to the French Open, Osaka advanced to the third round at the Italian Open in Rome in May. This tournament is played on the same clay as the Stade Roland Garros, and gives us a good scope to Paris.
The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament on clay. It is not uncommon for strong players to leave the court early because they cannot hit their stride on this surface. Expectations are high that she will be able to win her first Grand Slam title after her comeback.