5 Grand Slam champions, 1 prodigy, 1 Slam expert & 1 breakthrough star: Why the French Open 2024 QF line-up is a promising sign for women's tennis
The women's quarterfinal line-up at the French Open is one of the most exciting in recent times. The top five seeded players in the tournament have safely made it to the last eight of the Roland Garros and will be joined by two new stars and one three-time Grand Slam finalist.
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, Ons Jabeur, Jasmine Paolini, and Mirra Andreeva complete the quarterfinal line-ups at Roland Garros in what promises to be blockbuster clashes in store.
The French Open quarterfinal line-up shows women's tennis in a positive light
The World No. 1 and the defending champion Iga Swiatek is the overwhelming favorite to win her third consecutive Roland Garros title. The Polish star survived a scare against an inspired Naomi Osaka in the second round but has since shown her class on clay. Now, she is set to face the Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals.
This match between two current Grand Slam champions will attract a big crowd to the Phillipe-Chartier Court as it is set to follow the clash between Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur.
The World No. 3, Coco Gauff is set to lock horns with former Wimbledon and US Open finalist, Ons Jabeur. The American is the current US Open champion and has taken the tennis world by storm since late 2023. Her opponent Ons Jabeur is one of the success stories in tennis as she became the first African woman ever to reach the Wimbledon final in 2022. The Tunisian will be keen to add a Grand Slam to her name after losing three Major finals in the last two years.
While the top half of the draw has some heavyweight clashes, the bottom half consists of two surprising names. Jasmine Paolini and Mirra Andreeva have been the surprise package at this year's Roland Garros, making their way to the quarterfinals in Paris for the first time in their career.
Paolini was one of the most improved players in the WTA last year as she made it to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati WTA 1000. However, the 28-year-old Italian really announced herself to the tennis world by winning the Dubai WTA 1000 in 2024. Now, Paolini is set to face the World No, 4, Elena Rybakina in possibly the biggest match of her career so far.
In the last match quarterfinal match-up, teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva will take on the World No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka at the Phillipe-Chartier Court. The young Russian is the only unseeded player left in the draw but has impressed with her talent and temperament. The 17-year-old stunned former World No. 1, Victoria Azarenka on her way to quarterfinals and will aim for another upset against Sabalenka.
The women's quarterfinal line-up has caused a wave of excitement among the fans. The crowds are expected to come in large numbers in Paris as women's tennis looks back to its best after a few years of lackluster display.