Top 5: women's dark horses at 2019 Roland Garros

Look for these five dark horses to join the 2019 French Open conversation, as all five women are capable of beating any of their 127 competitors in the field.

1. Bianca Andreescu

At the beginning of the year, Bianca “Bibi” Andreescu was grinding her way up the WTA rankings. She began 2019 ranked No. 106 in the world, scrapping her way through qualifying rounds and also spending some time on the WTA's lower-tiered events . Two months later, after shocking the world at Indian Wells, she was officially the biggest story in all of tennis. She now sits at a career high No. 22 in the rankings and is ready to make her mark at Roland Garros.

Andreescu is a stud, she is the real deal, a champion for years to come. She owns every shot in the book. She frustrates her opponents by controlling the match with a variety of pace and spins few WTA players possess. In 2019 alone, the 18-year-old has beaten the likes of Angelique Kerber (twice), Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, and Garbine Muguruza. After her historic run in March, the Canadian suffered a small tear in her rotator cuff that's kept her off the court since Miami. Andreescu knows it will be an uphill battle playing her way back in shape on such a physical surface, and such a big stage. But her confidence is unwavering: “my goal is to improve each match and to win it all."

2. Belinda Bencic

This time last year, the supremely talented Swiss was ranked No. 72 in the world. She suffered a myriad of different injuries and setbacks after reaching her career high No. 7 in 2016. The tennis world was beginning to write her off as a possible flash in the pan. Bencic had other plans, and now she is on a fast track back into the world’s Top 10 where she belongs.

Currently ranked No. 15, she has been a giant slayer all year, racking up an astounding seven Top 10 wins so far in 2019, including two over world No. 1 Naomi Osaka. While she may prefer a quick hardcourt, Bencic's game transcends surfaces. She takes the ball early, uses sharp angles to keep her opponents off-balance, and finishes points at the net. That style of play works on every surface. Still just 22, the future is once again looking bright for the bubbly Swiss star.

3.  Maria Sakkari

One of the most athletic, physically imposing players on tour, Maria Sakkari is hitting her stride just in time for the French Open. After a stellar spring, Sakkari sits at a career high No. 29 in the world and shows no signs of slowing down. “I am extremely happy with Maria’s game heading into Roland Garros,” her coach Tom Hill told Tennis.com. “We have been focusing less on the outcome and more on giving the best performance possible each match... Maria is growing in confidence every day but this is just another tournament and we will take it one match at a time.”

Speaking of confidence, Sakkari won her first WTA title last month in Morocco, and has beaten both Petra Kvitova and Kiki Bertens on clay this year. She made the semifinals in Rome, losing to eventual champion Karolina Pliskova. If Sakkari gets hot, she can beat anyone in the tournament.

4.  Petra Martic

Seven years ago, Petra Martic put herself on the map in reaching the fourth round of Roland Garros by upsetting a pair of seeds in the process. Shortly after, her career was set back by several injuries that forced her to miss five Grand Slam events since 2012. After a long road back to full strength, Martic is currently playing the best tennis of her career heading into the French Open.

The Croatian owns a superb 11-2 record on clay this year, losing only to Top 10 talents Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens. She won her first career title in Istanbul and has reached the fourth round twice before in Paris. Her game is tailor-made for clay. Martic owns one of the most effective kick serves in the game and loves to dictate play with heavy forehands. She has beaten Bencic, Kiki Mladenovic, and 2016 French Open champion Garbine Muguruza on clay this year. With the right draw, Martic could do some serious damage in Paris.

5.  Marketa Vondrousova

Vondrousova has been turning heads all year. Since the Australian Open, the 19-year-old has made the quarterfinal round or better in every tournament she has entered. Vondrousova has also beaten Simona Halep twice this year, at Indian Wells and Rome, proving she can play at the highest possible level.

Her biggest weapon is her cross-court lefty forehand. The Czech uses this shot to pull her opponent way off the court, then she steps in and cracks the ball to the open target. Being left handed is a tremendous advantage in tennis and Vondrousova knows how to use it both on her serve and her forehand. Ranked No. 37 in the world, she is projected to fall just short of the last seed in Paris, unwelcome news for whichever seed’s section she falls in.