French Open 2022: 5 unseeded players who could shake up the women's draw
The 2022 French Open women's singles draw contains a number of dangerous players who are unseeded due to their current ranking. In last year's edition of Roland Garros, five unseeded players reached at least the last 16 of the tournament.
Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, who is the No. 2 seed this year, was unseeded and ranked 33rd in the WTA rankings when she triumphed last year.
The Czech defeated No. 31 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the title match. Tamara Zidansek, who was then the World No. 85, reached the semifinals, where she lost to Pavlyuchenkova.
The 2021 US Open women's singles final also featured two unseeded players, with 150th-ranked qualifier Emma Raducanu downing Leylah Fernandez.
Three of the last five editions of the women's singles event at Roland Garros have been won by an unseeded player. Prior to Krejcikova's victory, Iga Swiatek claimed the 2020 crown when she was ranked 54th and Jelena Ostapenko won the 2017 title when ranked 47th.
Here is a look at five unseeded women's players who could create an upset at the 2022 French Open:
#1 Bianca Andreescu
World No. 72 Bianca Andreescu has played just 13 tour-level claycourt matches, three of which have been at the French Open. The 21-year-old could, however, be a significant threat to seeded players in her section of the draw.
The former World No. 4 has won six of her nine matches on the surface since returning from a six-month break in Stuttgart last month. The Canadian reached the last 16 at the Madrid Open, before making the quarterfinals in Rome last week.
XXVI wins 🏛
The remarkable run continues as @iga_swiatek fends off Andreescu 7-6(2), 6-0!
#IBI22 https://t.co/NiWdcM26AK
The 2019 US Open winner could meet No. 14 seed Belinda Bencic, who has only reached the third round of the French Open once, in the second round. Andreescu could then play No. 17 seed Leylah Fernandez in the third round, before a potential last 16 clash with No. 4 seed Maria Sakkari, or No. 27 seed Amanda Anisimova.
#2 Yulia Putintseva
World No. 37 Yulia Putintseva has reached the quarterfinals of the French Open twice and holds a 13-8 record at the event. The 27-year-old has had a solid claycourt season, with a semifinal run in Istanbul and a last 16 showing in Rome.
The two-time WTA tour titlist could face seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, a player she beat at the 2019 US Open in the pair's only meeting. Sabalenka has not made it past the third round at Roland Garros in four previous appearances.
The Kazakh could meet No. 9 seed Danielle Collins, who has played just four matches on clay this year, in the fourth round. Putintseva holds a 2-1 record against the American and won their last match at the 2020 US Open.
#3 Alize Cornet
World No. 40 Alize Cornet has recorded 23 wins against top 10-ranked opponents in her career, including four in Grand Slams. The 32-year-old has not won a match since the Charleston Open in April, but has made the last 16 of her home Major twice before.
The former World No. 11 could play 2016 champion and No. 13 seed Jelena Ostapenko, who is winless since February, in the second round. Cornet could then face 2018 winner and No. 19 seed Simona Halep in the second round, before a potential fourth-round matchup with 2020 champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
The Frenchwoman upset both Garbine Muguruza and Halep en route to reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at this year's Australian Open
#4 Kaia Kanepi
World No. 46 Kaia Kanepi is renowned for her ability to down elite players in Grand Slams, having recorded nine wins against top-10 opponents in Majors. The former World No. 15, who beat Sabalenka to reach the last eight of the 2022 Australian Open, is also a two-time quarterfinalist at the French Open.
The 36-year-old, who made the semifinals of the Paris Challenger last week, faces 10th seed and 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza in the opening round. Muguruza is 7-8 in 2022, including 2-3 on clay.
Kanepi could then face No. 18 seed Coco Gauff in the third round, before a potential last-16 clash with fellow Estonian Anett Kontaveit.
#5 Ajla Tomljanovic
World No. 44 Ajla Tomljanovic has won six of her 10 completed matches on clay in 2022 and reached the last 16 at the 2014 French Open. The Australian's only win over a top-10 player in a Major came against Agnieszka Radwanska during that 2014 Roland Garros run.
The 29-year-old, who is in the same quarter of the French Open draw as Kanepi, will face Kontaveit in the opening round. The Estonian has won both of the pair's previous matches, though both were close three-setters.
No. 5 seed Kontaveit has lost five of her last eight matches and is 2-2 on clay this year. Tomljanovic could meet Gauff or Muguruza - who she has beaten twice - in the last 16.