Could the Stuttgart Win Be Elena Rybakina's Clay Court Trigger? Madrid and Rome Will Tell.

Elena Rybakina could have lost in the quarterfinals in Stuttgart. She didn't. And maybe that was the confidence boost she needed to know she could be one of the big favourites for Roland Garros and the World No.1 mantle, both for the first time.

Losing to Fernandez could have thrown Rybakina's No.1 quest off course, and given Sabalenka almost free rein over Madrid and Rome, making only herself her biggest enemy. But now that Rybakina is playing amazing on clay, Madrid and Rome suddenly became the battle grounds for favouritism ahead of the clay-court major in Paris. The results from both, and possibly two mouth-watering clashes in the final of both tournaments, could be decisive factors for who will finish the clay season on top of the World.

But the battle doesn't end on just the Top 2 players, unlike what we are seeing on the ATP. The entire WTA Top 10 is very strong, and upwards to the Top 30, every player can be extremely dangerous. Gauff, the Roland Garros defending champion, is a bit of a tough prediction, since she plays at her best infrequently, but always finds ways to win matches no matter against whom she plays. Pegula is not just going to sit there and hope for the best either, letting Sabalenka and Rybakina have all the fun.

I am particularly curious about Karolina Muchova and Iga Swiatek. Muchova, former French Open finalist, is having a great season so far, and injury-free, too, which is a relief for her. Although she lost to Rybakina in the Stuttgart final convincignly, she got her first wins over Gauff (1-6) and Svitolina (1-3), both in three tough sets. Perhaps after that emotionally tiring run, she'll come out firing in the next WTA 1000 events.

Swiatek is a huge question mark. She showed positive things in Stuttgart, but remains unconvincing as a favourite to any of the next tournaments, despite her impressive clay resume. Will she find her level in time for Roland Garros, where she is a four-time champion? Who knows.

All rests on the results from Madrid and Rome.

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