Kerber with fresh confidence

What we have rejoiced in Angelique Kerber’s successes in recent years. However, we have also suffered a lot during many defeats. With the best German tennis player, you never really know what you’re going to get. If she is in a good mood and feels comfortable, she can go far in the Stade Roland Garros, but an early elimination is not out of the question either.

In the first round, the former world number one will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech. There is no need to think too much about the role of the favourite in this match. If the German manages to keep up her form from last week in Strasbourg, then advancing to the second round should only be a formality. With Angie Kerber, however, there are always some residual doubts.

Angelique Kerber has won almost everything in her career. The French Open title is the only one of the four Grand Slams that she has not yet won. Twice the German has reached the quarter-finals at the French Open. To be honest, it has to be said that reaching the last eight this year would already be a very big success. However, in this opening match between Angelique Kerber and Magdalena Frech, the prediction is at least for a win for the German.

Magdalena Frech has not put any big exclamation marks on her career so far. At the French Open, the 24-year-old is in the main draw for only the second time. Due to her inexperience on the big tennis stage, one should not expect too much from her.

Angelique Kerber – Statistics & current form

Current world ranking: 22
Position in the seedings: 21

There are quite a few experts who have already sung a swan song for Angelique Kerber. It should be clear that at the age of 34 she is unlikely to attack the tennis throne again, but if the former world number one keeps to herself, she can still be successful. However, one should no longer assume a major triumph.

First tournament win in a year

Sometimes it’s the small successes that make you dream of bigger ones. It had been a good year since Angelique Kerber won her last title on the WTA Tour. On Saturday, however, it was that time again. After a weak season so far, the German triumphed at the clay tournament in Strasbourg, although the really big names were not competing in Alsace. After all, it was the first triumph on clay in over six years.

But as a prelude to the French Open, it couldn’t have gone better. She had her tough matches over three sets, which Angie Kerber needs to find her way into a tournament. After wins over Diane Parry, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Magda Linette and Oceane Dodin, the German reached the final where she had to deal with Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan.

In this final, too, it became clear that Angelique Kerber is still building up her form and has to fight hard for every victory. The match went into a tiebreak in each of the three long sets. In the end, the 34-year-old prevailed 7:6, 6:7 and 7:6. She has now earned a short break before the opening match in Paris.

Magdalena Frech – Statistics & current form

Current world ranking: 86
Position in the seedings: unseeded

Magdalena Frech is a player who, at the age of 24, has yet to make a big splash on the WTA Tour. She picked up her first tournament win in August 2021 in Concord at a 125 tournament. However, the Pole has not yet had any real successes in the major tournaments. At the French Open this year, she made it into the main draw for the second time.

First win at Roland Garros

2018 the Pole won in the first round against Arantxa Rus. After that it was always already over in the qualification. In general, this match was her only victory at a Grand Slam tournament. Therefore, one cannot claim that Magdalena Frech is spreading fear and terror on the tour. Perhaps it is just the right opening opponent for Angelique Kerber at the French Open.

The Pole also played her last tournament in Paris. At the beginning of May, Magdalena Frech played at the Trophee Lagardere, a 125-player tournament in the French capital. In competitions of this quality, one does not normally meet top players and Magdalena Frech succeeded in advancing to the quarter-finals, whereby the opponents were all to be found in the range of 100th place in the ranking.

A match against the former world number one is a different calibre, even if Kerber no longer offers the level of her great glory days. The 24-year-old outsider has already beaten top players, including Petra Kvitova, but on balance we are sticking to our clear prediction of a favourites’ victory between Angelique Kerber and Magdalena Frech.

Angelique Kerber – Magdalena Frech Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance

Angelique Kerber has been on the WTA Tour for a very long time and Magdalena Frech has also been a professional player since 2013. However, while the German has mainly performed at the big tournaments, the Pole has had to work at lower-level competitions. That’s why both women are now facing each other for the first time at the Stade Roland Garros.

Angelique Kerber – Magdalena Frech Tip

For Angelique Kerber, it was the right tune-up to hone her form once again in Strasbourg last week. Her first tournament win in over a year and her first triumph on clay in around six years proved her right. Of course, she was not 100 per cent convincing and the really big players were not there in Strasbourg, but her self-confidence has increased considerably.

The draw seems to open up the possibility for the best German tennis player to play a few matches in Paris. For the time being, however, the focus is on the first round to get used to the conditions at the French Open.

Now Angelique Kerber often has problems getting started at the Grand Slams, but if we look at the statistics of her opponent, there should be a clear victory for the German. We expect the former world number one to make it through to the second round and are offering odds of 2:0 between Angelique Kerber and Magdalena Frech for the three-time Grand Slam champion.