The French Open women’s tournament gets under way this weekend without a clear favourite for the first time in several years, with a clutch of players in strong form and Iga Swiatek enduring an unprecedented slump.
Jasmine Paolini became the eighth different player to reach a WTA 1000 final this season at last week's Italian Open before defeating Coco Gauff to clinch the biggest title of her career.
Aryna Sabalenka has solidified her position as world number one while Swiatek, winner of four Roland Garros titles in the last five years, has failed to reach any tour-level final since lifting her third successive French Open almost 12 months ago.
Sabalenka briefly dropped off from her best form after a surprise Australian Open final loss to Madison Keys before bouncing back with the Miami and Madrid Open titles.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has never reached the Roland Garros final and could face Swiatek in the last eight.
Gauff's first final appearances in Madrid and Rome have helped her return to a career-high ranking of world number two, giving her the second seeding for Paris.
The 21-year-old, a former Roland Garros runner-up, is waiting for her first title since last year's WTA Finals.
Several younger players have made their mark on the WTA Tour this season, led by Russian teenager Andreeva.
She became the youngest-ever champion of a WTA 1000 title in Dubai in February, before backing it up with an even more impressive triumph at Indian Wells.
Now 18, Andreeva is undoubtedly among the favourites in the French capital as she aims to become the youngest Grand Slam singles champion since compatriot Maria Sharapova famously won the 2004 Wimbledon title.
China's Zheng, 22, will be hoping to replicate the form that took her to Olympic gold at Roland Garros last summer and is seeded eighth.
Alcaraz wary of sharper Sinner, Djokovic under radar
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz arrives at Roland Garros brimming with confidence after taking down chief rival Jannik Sinner in Rome, but the defending champion expects the Italian to be an even tougher proposition.
Alcaraz and Sinner will be on opposite sides of the draw as the Spaniard returned to the second in the world this week following his Italian Open triumph, potentially setting the stage for another blockbuster final between the game's two rising superstars.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz has won 15 of 16 matches on clay this season, triumphing at Monte Carlo and reaching the Barcelona final before going all the way in Rome after missing the Madrid Open with a thigh injury.
He has also had Sinner's number of late, winning their last four meetings to take a 7-4 head-to-head advantage, a record that includes Alcaraz's five-set win in last year's French Open semi-final. His success on Sunday ended Sinner's run of 26 successive victories.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz believes the challenge of playing Sinner brings the best out of him.
Novak Djokovic will touch down in Paris with limited expectations for a man with a record 24 Grand Slam titles, three of them coming at Roland Garros.
The long-time former world number one has slipped to sixth in the rankings, leaving him vulnerable to the possibility of a quarter-final against Alcaraz or Sinner, as his wait for a tour-level 100th title goes on. His last one came at the Olympics, where he beat Alcaraz on Court Philippe Chatrier to land an elusive gold medal.
Djokovic skipped Rome after early exits in Monte Carlo and Madrid and is looking to rediscover some form by playing in Geneva.
