With the French Open starting on Sunday, it looks to be a wide open field for the ladies. There has been a different champion in each of the past 6 Grand Slam events, which should make for an exciting tournament.

Here is a look at the strongest contenders that will be competing for the title:

Serena Williams– The 23-time Grand Slam champ is still on the comeback trail since having her baby last summer. She hasn’t played a match since March and only holds a 2-2 record on the year. Despite such little playing time, her innate nature to win alone sets her up for a chance.

Simona Halep– The current No. 1 has been knocking on the door to a Grand Slam title for a while now. She lost in the French Open final last year to Ostapenko, and most recently, lost in the Italian Open final to Svitolina. She is currently the best active player to not win a Grand Slam title, and this French Open may be her time.

Elina Svitolina– Coming off her title win at the Italian Open, Svitolina will be striving to take the next step. She is a proven strong clay court player. She made it to the quarter-finals last year in Paris, and it would be no surprise to see her advance further this year.

Maria Sharapova– She has had her greatest Grand Slam success at the French Open in recent years, having won the title in 2012 and 2014. It appears that she has finally gotten back to the level she was at before her suspension in 2016 for use of a banned substance. Her greatest test may come in a potential 4th round match against Serena, whom she has not beaten since 2004.

Petra Kvitova– She is one of the hottest players right now, having won back to back clay titles in Prague and Madrid. Kvitova has 2 Wimbledon titles to her name and there is no reason to think she can’t add another Grand Slam trophy in Paris.

Caroline Wozniacki– The No. 2 seed has only made it as far as the quarter-finals once in her career at the French Open, and faces a tough potential quarter-final match-up against Kvitova. She won her 1st Grand Slam at the Australian Open this year and will be aiming to channel the same confidence at Roland Garros.

Jeļena Ostapenko– The Latvian came out of nowhere last year to take the French Open crown, and is hoping to become the first woman to defend the title here since Justine Henin did it in 2007.

Semi-final predictions: Halep vs. Sharapova, Svitolina vs. Kvitova

Final prediction: Halep vs. Kvitova

Champion: Halep

Featured Image Credit: Etotalsports

Photo Credit (in order): GReePX, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Heavy.com, Zee News, For The Win – USA Today, The Guardian Nigeria