Serena Williams’ quest for her fourth French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam just got easier thanks to Maria Sharapova’s suspension and Victoria Azarenka’s recent back problems.
Williams, the defending champion, will now enter as the unanimous favorite (+125) in the upcoming tournament, and it’s hard to see anyone stopping her from dominating the competition. Will that be the case indeed? Or will could somebody rise to the challenge and make things interesting?
Read on below as we check out three key sleepers to watch out for at Roland Garros. And while you’re at it, click here to check out our 2016 ATP French Open Women’s Singles Preview and Predictions piece.
Although Garbine Muguruza’s had a not-so-great year thus far, you can’t quickly count her out especially during major tournaments. The beautiful Venezuelan could eventually relocate her powerful form at Roland Garros, where she’s managed to reach the quarterfinals in the previous two years. And don’t forget that Muguruza also mesmerized us with a finals appearance at Wimbledon in 2015. This woman is really unpredictable.
Another one who could provide Serena Williams some serious trouble is Timea Bacsinszky, who was a semifinalist in the 2015 French Open. The 26-year-old Swiss has gone 19-8 thus this year, and her most impressive showing was obviously at Rabat, where she brought home the title by mercilessly beating Marina Erakovic, 6-2, 6-1, in the finals. Bacsinszky also had a relatively good performance in the Rome Masters, as she made it all the way to the quarterfinals. It really seems like she’s rounded into form already, and the timing couldn’t have been any better.
Speaking of timing, Madison Keys also seems to have found her powerful form as well. She started the year pretty slow, but eventually began turning things around especially at the recently-concluded Italian Open. In that tourney, Keys made it all the way to the finals, where she unfortunately lost in straight sets to Serena Williams. Nevertheless, expect Keys to try and build on her newfound momentum and confidence.
There you have them—the best sleepers heading into the 2016 French Open. Create a betting account now, and start cashing in on all of the upcoming action in this highly-anticipated major tournament.
