French Open: Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka - Paris is not just about the title
Ashleigh Barty andNaomi Osaka won't just play for the title at the French Open. Something could happen at the top of the world rankings too.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: May 30, 2021, 07:26 am
In and of itself, Ashleigh Barty's lead in the women's world rankings seems to be quite comfortable: The Australian is currently 2714 points ahead of her first pursuer Naomi Osaka . So the gap is still quite large, but Bartys 2000 points come from her triumph at the French Open two years ago.
Osaka, who was missing in Paris last year as well as Barty, only reached the third round in 2019 and thus only has 130 points to defend. If you subtract the French Open results of the two currently best players, which are currently included in the ranking, before the start of this year's edition, Barty's lead over her first pursuer is 844 points.
Osaka needs to reach the finals
As a result, the Australian would definitely stay at the top of the world rankings if she reached the finals in the French capital. On the other hand, Osaka needs at least that to replace the 25-year-old. Should Barty reach the semi-finals, the Japanese would have to win the French Open.
Given Osaka's rather mediocre form, this scenario seems very unlikely. The 23-year-old can take a first step towards the fifth Grand Slam title on Sunday: From 11:00 a.m., she will face Patricia Maria Tig. Barty, however, only intervenes in the tournament on Tuesday.
Here is the women's tableau in Roland Garros
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