We’re two months away from the 2022 French Open, but as we look ahead, the second tennis Grand Slam seems much different from a couple of weeks back. And that is due to the shock retirement of Ash Barty, who decided to hang up her racket at only 25-years of age while holding onto the no.1 spot in the WTA Rankings.
But while Barty’s retirement ended what seemed like it was turning into a new era of women’s tennis, her decision to leave the sport has also opened up some interesting questions for the second Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year. And the biggest and most important question is who will win the 2022 French Open, and who should we consider betting on?
The best sports betting apps US such as BetMGM have already listed their favorites with Iga Świątek at +225, Simona Halep at +600, and Barbora Krejčíková at +900.
Barty’s Shock Retirement
The world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, Ash Barty, quits her career on Tuesday, March 22, leaving the whole tennis scene in shock. The soon-to-turn 26-year-old tennis superstar stated that she does not feel like she has the physical drive nor the emotional drive to continue competing and decided to end her career prematurely.
Even more shocking is that Barty made the call just two months after winning the Australian Open. It marked her third Grand Slam title after winning the French Open in 2019 and the Wimbledon a year later.
“With her accomplishments at the Grand Slams, WTA Finals, and reaching the pinnacle ranking of No.1 in the world, she has clearly established herself as one the great champions of the WTA,” said WTA CEO and Chairman Steve Simon.
“We wish Ash only the very best and know that she will continue to be a tremendous ambassador for the sport of tennis as she embarks on this new chapter of her life. We will miss her.”
But not only has Barty’s retirement left a massive void in the female tennis scene, but it also brought up many questions. Namely, who will be the new no.1 in the WTA, and most importantly, who will win the 2022 French Open now that the tournament’s favorite is out of the picture?
Swiatek Takes Over As The Leading Favorite To Win The French Open Crown
Ash Barty was the top favorite to claim her second French Open title, but with the Aussie tennis star enjoying her retirement, Iga Swiatek took over as the woman to watch.
The Polish tennis star recently won the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and rose to the career-high no.2 spot in the WTA Rankings. Moreover, she has reached the QF of the Miami Open on Monday, March 28, and got herself one step closer to claiming another Major tennis tournament title, which would genuinely cement her as the current best tennis player on the WTA tour.
And if her current form is not enough to confirm Swiatek should do well in France, the Pole won the 2020 French Open, made the quarters in 2021, and is 5-0 in her last five finals.
Other Players To Keep An Eye On
Even though Swiatek is undeniably the one to watch, Maria Sakkari is not to be overlooked either. She is priced as high as +1400 on BetMGM, which ranks her as the seventh-most likely winner of the tournament.
Still, despite the generous odds, Sakkari is technically the no.2 player on the WTA Tour and has done well in France before. Sakkari made the semi-finals at the 2021 French Open and added another SF finish in the United States at the end of the season.
Another outsider that could take advantage of the situation is Barbora Krejcikova (+900 on BetMGM). Priced as the third-favorite, behind Simona Halep and Swiatek, Krejcikova has found herself in a good spot to defend her 2021 French Open title.
The Czech tennis star already had an excellent showing in Australia and could benefit from Barty’s absence. Moreover, Halep has recently suffered an injury during the Miami Open. While we don’t know the severity of the injury, we know that Krejcikova is fit and ready to compete in France.
Not only is Krejcikova the defending French Open champion, but she had also won the doubles event in 2021 (and in 2018). The current no.4 in the WTA Rankings has been flying under the radar for long enough and shouldn’t be overlooked ahead of the 2022 French Open.
Expect the 2022 French Open odds to continue shifting as we get closer to the tournament, and there is a chance that either of the main favorites will get injured or decides not to attend the event. But as it stands now, Swiatek looks like the leading candidate to take home the crown, and Krejcikova is a live outsider pick to make some noise.