Venus Williams
Country: USA
Age: 36
Rank: 11
Serena Williams may have been 20 weeks pregnant when she won in Australia but even she, the subject of abhorrent recent comments from Ilie Nastase, has reluctantly had to admit defeat in the remaining three slams of the year. Don't totally discount the chances of a Williams sister reigning in Paris. At 36, Venus - last year's Wimbledon runner up - is still playing out of this world.
Elina Svitolina
Country: Ukraine
Age: 22
Rank: 6
Jamie Murray's former mixed doubles partner posssese genuine star quality and has four titles to his name this year, including beating Simona Halep in the Rome final. Could meet the Romanian again in Roland Garros, but may have to negotiate her way beyond Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan and Madison Keys first.
Petra Kvitova
Country: Czech Republic
Age: 27
Rank: 16
The feelgood story of this year's Roland Garros. Twice a Grand Slam winner, the likeable Czech has made a swift return from the horrific knife attack at her home in Prostejov and major career-saving surgery to be on the start line in Paris. “I did miss definitely the court, I did miss the fight," she said on the eve of the tournament. "Now I can just enjoy everything, even the beautiful weather outside."
Eugenie Bouchard
Country: Canada
Age: 23
Rank: 56
When Bouchard, with righteous fire seemingly in her belly, slapped the returning Maria Sharapova down in Madrid, it was a reminder of what this Canadian girl could still be. A good enough laugh to go on a date with a Twitter follower in February after a bet on the outcome of the Super Bowl, Bouchard recently sustained an ankle injury in Nuremberg which could threaten her progress.
Garbine Muguruza
Country: Spain
Age: 23
Rank: 5
It seemed for all the world like this talented Caracas-born player was the heir to Serena Williams' throne when she take care of her here 12 months ago, but that this Spanish senorita has been a shadow of that player ever since. Blessed with the kind of instinctive clay court game which could take her the whole way, she has a troublesome neck issue and faces a tough opener against Francesca Schiavone.
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