Iga Swiatek earmarked as "1A and 1B as far as favourites go" for Roland Garros in high estimation by Andy Roddick

Former world number one Andy Roddick believes that Poland’s Iga Swiatek is a strong favourite for the French Open 2024. The women’s world number one has a fabulous record while playing at the Roland Garros, having won the title three times.

Two of those victories came back-to-back in 2022 and 2023 and she has been undefeated in the mega-event since losing the quarterfinal in 2021 to Greece’s Maria Sakkari who registered a win in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Roddick was recently quoted in a report where he backed Swiatek for another title in France by calling her the ‘1A and 1B’ favourite in the women’s singles category. “I was impressed with Rybakina’s performance in Miami,” he said. She’s usually one of those players that’s form-dependent: when she’s hot and playing well she wins tournaments, and when she’s not she loses early.

“But, having pulled out of Indian Wells with sickness and apparently not played tennis for eight days in between the two events, this time she was significantly undercooked and still found a way to work her way through to the final without playing her best stuff. We have a million miles between now and the French Open and it’s going to be based on form going in, but Iga Swiatek is 1A and 1B as far as favourites go on this surface. Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka are both players that can bother her with pace and speed, but someone is going to have to put together a massive clay-court season to even enter the conversation with Iga on clay.”