Tennis Players Who Will Rise in the Rankings Before the 2015 French Open
March is when the tennis season really heats up.
Over the next two months, the first five Masters Series events of 2015 will be contested. It's a crucial time for players to gain rankings points and momentum. The hard courts of Indian Wells and Miami this month will be a battleground with valuable hardware up for grabs.
And then the road to Roland Garros begins.
The clay court season will kick off during April and serve as a prelude to the French Open. From Monte Carlo to Madrid, Rome and everywhere in between, the red dirt of Europe holds the keys to the year's second Grand Slam.
Here is a look at a few of the men and women who are most poised to climb in the rankings before the French Open. These players should have no trouble transitioning to clay and making serious noise.
Irina-Camelia Begu
1 of 6
Current rank: 34
Looking for an under-the-radar player during the clay-court season? Don't count out Irina-Camelia Begu.
While the 24-year-old Romanian may be overshadowed by her countrywoman Simona Halep, she has plenty of game herself. At this year's Australian Open, Begu upset Angelique Kerber in her opening match and slugged her way into the fourth round. There, she fell in three sets to Eugenie Bouchard, but Begu acquitted herself well on the hard courts.
She's at her best on clay, however. A tough baseline grinder, Begu found most of her success last year on the surface, especially at the ITF level. Recently, she made the semifinals in singles at Rio and also reached the final in doubles.
Her game is a natural fit for the dirt. She's a solid mover, and although she may not have an overpowering serve, she makes up for it with savvy and grit. Once play begins on the European clay courts next month, she will be a dark horse contender and should lock up a seed at the French Open.
Pablo Carreno Busta
2 of 6
Current rank: 54
As Spain's golden generation of male tennis stars age, the country is looking for its next breakout player. Pablo Carreno Busta could fill that role.
The 23-year-old Carreno Busta is another in Spain's long line of clay-court specialists. He made his mark in 2013 and 2014 on the dirt, capturing a horde of Challenger titles. Last year, Carreno Busta finally made the leap to the ATP World Tour and found early success.
He reached the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo after beating Gael Monfils, though he eventually succumbed to a to an in-form Novak Djokovic. Later in the year, Carreno Busta made the third round at the U.S. Open and the quarters in Valencia.
With a superb backhand and court-coverage skills, Carreno Busta can develop into one of the game's best clay-court players. He's already proved he can win at the lower levels. Now, he has to show he can compete with the best.
In Rio last month, Carreno Busta gave Rafael Nadal a stiff test in the second round. He lost in straight sets, but the young Spaniard showed further progress with his game.
Carreno Busta may never crack the Top 10, but he has the tools to rise in the rankings and should be a tough out this spring on the terra baute.
Garbine Muguruza
3 of 6
Current rank: 22
She shocked the world in 2014 and took out Serena Williams in the second round of the French Open. Now, Garbine Muguruza is out to prove that win was anything but a fluke.
Muguruza, a 21-year-old Spaniard, eventually made her first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros last year, falling in a tight three-set match to eventual champion Maria Sharapova. Despite the loss, the tournament was her breakthrough moment and announced her arrival as a future star.
She has tantalizing power on her serve and groundstrokes and dictates play with aggressive tactics. Already, Muguruza is off to a strong start to 2015, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open and the semifinals in Dubai. Expect those results to improve at Indian Wells and Miami, and especially on clay.
April is where Muguruza can really shine. Though she adapts well to all surfaces, Muguruza is a natural fit for clay. She'll have plenty of opportunities at tournaments like Madrid and Rome to further boost her stock and make a run at the Top 10 before Roland Garros.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Nicolas Almagro
4 of 6
Current rank: 73
He may not be a marquee member of the Spanish tennis armada, but Nicolas Almagro shouldn't be forgotten.
His low ranking definitely isn't indicative of his talent. He started last year at No. 13, but a foot injury forced him out of his first-round match at the French Open. Almagro wouldn't make it back on the court for the rest of the season.
Due to inactivity, he took a deep tumble in the rankings. Though Almagro finally made it back in Sydney during January, he lost his first match there and at the Australian Open. He fell to No. 91 in the world as a result.
With the shift to the clay-court schedule, Almagro began to find his legs last month.
In Sao Paulo, he made the quarterfinals. He topped that with a semifinal run in Buenos Aires. Now, Almagro's back up to No. 73 and is ready for a bigger jump this spring.
The 29-year-old Spaniard thrives on clay. He's a natural mover on the surface with a huge forehand and versatile one-handed backhand. Almagro has found his best results on the dirt, winning 12 titles and reaching nine other finals. Look for him to continue that trend in the coming months and make a solid run at Roland Garros, where he's made three quarterfinal appearances.
Victoria Azarenka
5 of 6
Current rank: 38
Victoria Azarenka is furiously trying to regain what was once hers: a spot in the hierarchy of women's tennis.
Injuries to her foot and knee kept her off the court for much of 2014 and sent her game into a spiral. When she did play, Azarenka looked far from fit and didn't produce anywhere close to her best tennis. But now, she's healthy again and embarking on a comeback.
Slowly, she's working her way back into top form. After a season-opening loss in the first round of Brisbane, Azarenka scored impressive wins over Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open and gutted her way into the fourth round, where she narrowly fell to Dominika Cibulkova.
In Doha last month, Azarenka made further strides with a run to her first final in over a year. She dispatched quality players like Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina, Venus Williams and Wozniacki (again) before coming up short against hot-hitting Lucie Safarova. Despite that loss, Azarenka showed her best tennis isn't far away.
With the help of new coach Wim Fissette and the recent hiring of Serena Williams' hitting partner Sascha Bajin, Azarenka will have plenty of voices guiding her back to the top. Over the next two months, her ranking should continue to rise.
Azarenka has performed well at Indian Wells and Miami in her career, winning titles at both events. She's also made the finals in Madrid and Rome, proving her clay-court prowess. Those tournaments should be a springboard for her this season and help her get back near the Top 10 before the French Open.
If she can clinch a high seed at Roland Garros, watch out.
Juan Martin del Potro
6 of 6
Current rank: 614
No player has more to gain over the next few months than Juan Martin del Potro.
Because of a left wrist injury suffered at the start of 2014, Del Potro missed most of last year rehabbing from surgery. After almost an entire season of inactivity, his ranking plummeted.
He hoped to be strong enough to compete at the Australian Open, but Del Potro again felt pain and was forced to withdraw from the tournament and undergo a second procedure on his wrist.
It was yet another setback for the 26-year-old Argentine. But after several weeks of recovery, he's finally ready to return.
Del Potro recently announced he'll take a wildcard into Indian Wells. It's an important first step for him in his quest to get back to the top. When he's healthy, he has scintillating power that strikes fear in any opponent. The sound of the ball coming off his racket is unlike anything else in the sport.
While it will take Del Potro time to shake off the rust and gain back his old form, he should soar in the rankings before the French Open. He has nowhere to go but up, and with a few months of steady results, Del Potro can reassert himself as one of the game's elite.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
