Former American tennis star Andy Roddick revealed his pick for the title favorite at the 2024 French Open. Roddick picked Kazakh tennis ace and World No. 4 Elena Rybakina and also cited the reason behind it.
He said that as Rybakina enjoys her matchup against Iga Swiatek, the three-time French Open champion, the Kazakh is right up there in the list of title favorites.
Roddick also cited Rybakina’s recent success against Swiatek while backing his claim. He talked about the Kazakh’s potential as well as her recent form. Moreover, he highlighted how Rybakina has managed to push Swiatek to the limits.
He talked about her win over the World No. 1 Swiatek in Stuttgart most recently. Roddick also remembered how Rybakina kept Swiatek at bay in the quarterfinal of the 2023 Rome Masters before the Polish ace decided to retire from the match.
I think I will take Rybakina only because she does not dislike the matchup against Iga as much as everyone else. She has played against her at Rome Masters and she beat her a couple of weeks ago in Stuttgart. I think I take Rybakina just based on the recent form and that specific matchup with Iga. Andy Roddick said on Tennis Channel.
Elena Rybakina’s favorable matchup against Iga Swiatek
As already mentioned, Elena Rybakina has a favorable matchup against Iga Swiatek. The Kazakh tennis ace is among those rare players who lead the World No. 1 player in the head-to-head record. Rybakina leads Swiatek 4-2 in their matchup and two of the four wins have come on clay courts.
Most recently, Rybakina ousted the double-defending champion at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She beat Swiatek 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the semifinal and eventually went on to win the title.
Now, as the tour moves closer to the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, it is to be seen how Rybakina performs in the tournament leading to the French Open.
Currently, she is competing at the Madrid Open. Rybakina has progressed to the third round as she beat Lucia Bronzetti in the second round. She is up against Mayar Sherif in the third and thus, is expected to make it through to the pre-quarterfinals.
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