As Roland Garros gets closer, the discussion on biggest title contenders is heating up. There are a range of factors to consider – including history, form, draw and rankings.
However, as rankings are based on a 52-week period and count results across all surfaces, is this a fair reflection? We have recalculated the rankings based on only claycourt performances so far in 2019 to find out.
ATP 2019 clay rankings
Rafael Nadal tops the ATP list, just ahead of world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
Surprisingly, only four of the current top-10 ranked players also feature in the 2019 clay rankings.
World No.37 Cristian Garin looms as the most dangerous unseeded player in the draw. The 22-year-old Chilean is a two-time champion on clay so far in 2019, winning titles in Houston and Munich. He knows how to perform in Paris too, winning the Roland Garros junior boys’ singles title in 2013.
Argentinean Guido Pella is the most prolific clay winner so far in 2019, winning 20 of his 28 matches on the surface.
| Clay rank | ATP rank | Player | Ranking points | Win-loss record | Top 10 record |
| 1 | 2 | Rafael Nadal | 1900 | 14-3 | 2-2 |
| 2 | 1 | Novak Djokovic | 1780 | 10-2 | 3-1 |
| 3 | 6 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 1345 | 12-4 | 2-2 |
| 4 | 11 | Fabio Fognini | 1180 | 9-6 | 2-2 |
| 5 | 4 | Dominic Thiem | 1050 | 11-5 | 2-1 |
| 6 | 22 | Guido Pella | 860 | 20-8 | 0-2 |
| 7 | 34 | Laslo Djere | 825 | 13-6 | 2-0 |
| 8 | 37 | Cristian Garin* | 760 | 18-4 | 1-0 |
| 9 | 20 | Diego Schwartzman | 685 | 12-8 | 2-2 |
| 10 | 14 | Daniil Medvedev | 680 | 8-4 | 3-1 |
* Still competing this week, so can improve position before Roland Garros begins.
WTA 2019 clay rankings
Madrid champion Kiki Bertens tops the WTA 2019 clay rankings, with her consistent results giving her a clear lead over newly-crowned Rome champion Karolina Pliskova.
A viral illness impacted the start of Pliskova’s clay season, before the Czech stormed into the Roland Garros contender discussion after winning Rome. Still, the highest-ranked opponent Pliskova defeated in her title-winning run was world No.37 Sofia Kenin.
Defending Roland Garros champion Simona Halep sits at No.6 in the list, while an injury-interrupted swing has world No.1 Naomi Osaka sitting at No.9.
World No.26 Johanna Konta has never won a main draw match in Paris – yet after a sensational claycourt swing, making finals in Rabat and Rome, she looms as a legitimate contender at No.3 on the list.
| Clay rank | WTA rank | Player | Ranking points | Win-loss record | Top 10 record |
| 1 | 4 | Kiki Bertens | 1590 | 12-3 | 4-1 |
| 2 | 2 | Karolina Pliskova | 966 | 6-2 | 0-0 |
| 3 | 26 | Johanna Konta | 830 | 10-3 | 2-2 |
| 4 | 6 | Petra Kvitova | 790 | 8-2 | 1-1 |
| 5 | 29 | Maria Sakkari | 741 | 12-4 | 2-1 |
| 6 | 3 | Simona Halep | 710 | 5-2 | 1-1 |
| 7 | 31 | Petra Martic | 680 | 11-2 | 0-1 |
| 8 | 15 | Belinda Bencic | 606 | 9-5 | 1-2 |
| 9 | 1 | Naomi Osaka | 590 | 7-1 | 0-0 |
| 10 | 7 | Sloane Stephens | 550 | 6-3 | 0-1 |
22 February 2016
How well do you know your lobs from your lets? Take this test to see if you can be the nex... More
17 August 2017
Alicia Molik, a former top 10 star who owned one of the sport’s best serves, believes se... More
24 February 2017
It is no coincidence that some of the best singles players to ever pick up a racquet all h... More
18 January 2016
Shot charts are critical in understanding a player’s on court behaviour. They have becom... More
© 2024 Tennis Australia