Whilst the US Open is underway in New York, the French Open, which will be this year’s third, and final, Grand Slam – as Wimbledon was cancelled due to the global coronavirus pandemic – is just around the corner. The Paris-based event will get underway on September 21st, just two weeks after the conclusion of the North American Grand Slam.

However, with many big names missing from the line-up in New York, and the same expected for the French capital, let’s take a look at who the bookies are making the favourites ahead of the Women’s singles. Read on to find out more!

Simona Halep

2018 French Open champion Simona Halep is the current favourite in the betting on tennis the French Open at 9/2. The current World Number 2 reached the Paris-based final in 2014 and 2017, before finally getting her hands on the French Open title in 2018. Halep dropped just one set in the opening four rounds, before beating 12th seed Angelique Kerber and 3rd seed Garbiñe Muguruza in the quarter and semi-finals. In the final, the Romanian came from a set down to beat 10th seed Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Last year, Amanda Anisimova knocked Halep out of the tournament at the quarterfinals stage.

Ashleigh Bartley

Last year’s champion Ashleigh Bartley is next in line in the betting at 9/1 to win back-to-back French Open’s. However, it is not yet clear if the current World Number 1 is even going to defend her title in Paris this year, due to the global coronavirus pandemic. After five attempts at the Roland Garros, and not progressing further than the second round, Bartley went into last year’s tournament as a 20/1 outsider. However, the Australian, whose only other Grand Slam victory came in the US Open Women’s Doubles in 2018, dropped just two sets en route to the final, where she beat Czech Republican Markéta Vondroušová 6-1, 6-3 in straight sets.

Garbine Muguruza

Two-time Grand Slam winner Garbiñe Muguruza is just a bit further out in the betting from Bartley at 10/1. The Spaniard won her Grand Slam trophy in 2016, beating Serena Williams, 7-5, 6-4, in the final of the French Open, before beating Serena’s sister, Venus, in the final of Wimbledon in 2017. In 2018, Muguruza reached the semi-finals of the French Open, but was beaten by the eventual winner, Halep, whilst seventh seed Stephens knocked her out of last year’s tournament. The 26-year-old reached the Australian Open final earlier this year, but lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Sofia Kenin.

Serena Williams

Despite having won a whopping 23 career Grand Slam titles – the most in the Open Era – Williams has won the Roland Garros just three times. Her first win in Paris was back in 2002, when she beat her sister 7-5, 6-3 in straight sets in the final – Serena went on to beat Venus in the Wimbledon and US Open finals that year too – ouch! It was over 10 years before Serena won the French Open again. In 2013, she beat Maria Sharapova (6-4, 6-4) in the final, whilst in 2015 Lucie Šafářová was her latest victim, with Serena winning 6-3, 6-7(2-7), 6-2. In the last couple of years, Serena has been knocked out at the fourth and third rounds, respectively.