Elena Rybakina gets favorable draw at French Open 2023, a potential semifinal clash against Iga Swiatek on cards
Elena Rybakina has not put a foot wrong since winning the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and will be one of the favourites to secure a second Slam at the 2023 French Open.
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Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina (Image via Reuters and Tennis-Infinity.com)
Defending Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is currently playing some of the best tennis of her career. The 23-year-old Kazakh hasn’t put her foot off the pedal since winning her maiden Grand Slam last year at SW19.
This year too, the World No. 4 has been in outstanding touch, reaching the finals of the 2023 Australian Open and clinching two WTA 1000 titles at the India Wells Open and the Italian Open. The victory in Rome has been even more special as it has ensured that Rybakina is an all-surface player and can play equally well on clay courts as on other turfs.
Moreover, this has also made sure that Rybakina is one of the favorites to go all the way at Roland Garros and clinch her second Major. Speaking of the 2023 French Open, which begins next Monday, i.e., May 28th, the much-awaited draw is finally out.
For Rybakina, the draw looks favorable, especially in the first few rounds, where there is no tricky opponent waiting for her. However, as the player from Kazakhstan goes deeper, the matches will get stiffer, a common thing in a tournament of this magnitude.
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A marquee semifinal against Iga Swiatek awaits Rybakina
Elena Rybakina will kick off her title dream with a first-round match against a winner from the qualifiers currently taking place at Roland Garros. In the second round, Rybakina will face the winner of the match between Linda Noskova and Danka Kovinic. The Round of 32 could witness the one-time Major winner run into either Petra Martin or 32nd-seed Shelby Rogers.
Rybakina is expected to make it to the fourth round without many worries. However, she may have to ease her game a little in the Round of 16, which can potentially be against her nemesis and 14th-seed Beatriz Maia Haddad. The Brazilian has already upstaged Rybakina twice this year. If she overcomes her fourth-round challenge, Rybakina may run into either 7th seed Ons Jabeur or 2-time Wimbledon champion and 10th seed Petra Kvitova.
Given the kind of form Rybakina is in, she is expected to at least make it to the last four stages of this year’s French Open. There, her biggest challenge may await, as Rybakina is expected to bump into defending champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. If somehow Rybakina manages to overcome the Polish hurdle, she may have the chance to reignite her rivalry against 3rd-seed and defending Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash at Roland Garros.
The two women have already met each other in two finals this year, with one (the Australian Open final) going in favor of the Belarusian while the other (the Indian Wells Masters) was pocketed by Rybakina. Besides Sabalenka, local favorite, and 5th-seed Caroline Garcia can be Rybakina’s other opponent in the final.
Elena Rybakina’s potential path to her maiden French Open title
- Round 1 – Qualifier/ Lucky Loser
- Round 2 – Linda Noskova/ Danka Kovinic
- Round 3 – Petra Martic/ Shelby Rogers
- Round 4 – Beatriz Maia Haddad
- Quarter-finals – Ons Jabeur/ Petra Kvitova
- Semi-finals – Iga Swiatek
- Final – Aryna Sabalenka/ Caroline Garcia
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Kushagra Gupta
(349 Articles Published)