The Roland Garros 2024 tournament kicks off this Sunday, and today we're going to take a look at the forces at work, the favourites, and where the good opportunities lie !

It is once again time for the second Grand Slam event of the season and while there is an element of vulnerability about the market leaders in the men's draw, that does not appear to be the case in the women's game.

Swiatek expected to dominate in Paris

The second Grand Slam of the season, the French Open, is fast approaching and all the attention is on one player in the women's competition - Iga Swiatek.

Not only is Swiatek the two-time defending champion at the clay-court major, having won the title in 2022 and 2023, she also heads to Paris in exceptional form on the WTA Tour.

The Pole may have taken her time to get going in 2024 but she has won three of the last five tournaments in which she has competed, which includes title triumphs at both the Madrid Open and Italian Open in May.

It is no secret that clay is Swiatek's favorite surface and it is usually around this time of year that she hits her stride.

The French Open was her first Grand Slam title back in 2020, meaning she has won it on three occasions in total, and it is easy to see why she is red-hot favorite to defend her title at 1.74*.

Sabalenka and Collins among Swiatek's challengers

Having lost to her in the finals of both the Madrid Open and Italian Open, Aryna Sabalenka is considered the next most likely winner of the French Open at 6.00*.

Sabalenka has won 25 of her 32 matches on the WTA Tour this season and although she has claimed just one title, it was a significant success as she successfully defended her Australian Open crown at the start of the year.

Sabalenka was also runner-up in January's Brisbane International and it is clear she has an affinity for the faster surface.

Although she reached the semi-finals of last season's French Open and impressed in both Madrid and Rome recently, it is fair to say that clay remains her weakest surface and there could be better options lower down the betting.

One player who may be getting a little overlooked is Danielle Collins, who is listed at 21.00* to win the French Open.

Swiatek may have overshadowed her exploits but the American has made great progress on the WTA Tour this season.

She won back-to-back titles early in the spring in Miami, on the hard courts, and Charleston on clay, taking down the likes of Ons Jabeur and Maria Sakkari en route to the title in the latter.

She also reached the last 16 at the Madrid Open and the semi-finals of the Italian Open. And prior to her involvement in WTA Strasbourg, Collins had not lost a single match to anyone other than Swiatek or Sabalenka since the start of March.

Keep an eye on longshot Keys

For those after a longshot selection in women's singles at the French Open, Madison Keys is listed at 67.00*.

Keys has really upped her game in recent weeks, carving paths to the semi-finals of the Madrid Open, in which she lost to Swiatek after beating Jabeur and world number three Coco Gauff, and the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, again losing to Swiatek.

Toppling the big guns in the latter stages is a big ask for Keys but a favorable draw coupled with a little bit of luck could see her go deep.

She reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2018 and could impress again in Paris this year.

*the advertised odds are subject to change