French Open 2019 Women's Final: Early Prediction for Ashleigh Barty at Wimbledon

Ashleigh Barty beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-3 in the French Open final Saturday, and she will go into tennis' premier event at Wimbledon in July with quite a bit of momentum.

Barty's rise in women's tennis has been quite dramatic, as Mary Carillo reported on NBC Sports' broadcast that her win in Paris has raised her to the No. 2 spot in the WTA rankings.

Barty left the sport in 2014 to try her hand at cricket for 18 months before coming back to tennis, and that decision has paid off.

Barty is an athletic, all-court player, and she could turn out to be quite effective on the Wimbledon grass courts. She has the speed and quickness to take advantage of that surface, although she has only progressed as far as the third round in previous attempts.

The big issue for Barty's chances at Wimbledon is likely to be the competition. Top-ranked Naomi Osaka, Kiki Bertens, reigning champion Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova are all capable of going to Wimbledon and enjoying long runs.

Additionally, Serena Williams may no longer be at the top of her game, but she could play her best tennis on a surface she has dominated over the years to the tune of seven titles.

Osaka is likely the most dangerous opponent for Barty, but the Australian is still likely to feel quite confident. She has won two of the three matches that the two have played against each other, and while Osaka has an edge in prize money, Barty has more career victories.

Barty matches up better against Bertens—who reached the quarterfinal at Wimbeldon last year—and is unbeaten in four matches against the former doubles player. That includes wins in this year's Australian Open and Miami Open over the 27-year-old. 

The 31-year-old Kerber has split four matches with Barty and beat her in straight sets earlier this year in Australia. 

Halep could prove to be a difficult opponent for Barty since she has won three of their four matches, and she has a significant edge in experience and has has won nearly four times as much in prize money.

Williams has won her only two matches against Barty and is one of the sport's most dominant ever. However, it's hard for Williams to play her best tennis at the age of 37, and she may no longer be capable of winning the biggest events unless her opponents make mistakes. Williams lost to Sofia Kenin in the third round of the French Open and was eliminated in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open by Karolina Pliskova.

Prediction

There's no reason Barty can't have another long run in London. She could be one of the top three seeds in the tournament, and the surface should be to her liking.

While her past performances at the tournament aren't encouraging, the confidence boost of a French Open title could be the difference.

Look for Barty to reach the finals at Wimbledon, but Osaka's power should be decisive. Barty loses in the championship match and becomes the Wimbledon runner-up.