Iga Swiatek can become the first back-to-back women's champion at the French Open in 16 years if she can shake off a worrying injury.

Elsewhere, rivals battle inconsistent form and bruised confidence ahead of the season's second Grand Slam tournament which gets underway in Paris on Sunday.

AFP Sports looks at three talking points in women's singles:

World number one Iga Swiatek is already a three-time major winner after capturing the 2020 and 2022 French Opens as well as the 2022 US Open.

Now the 21-year-old Pole attempts to become the first back-to-back women's champion at Roland Garros since Justine Henin won three on the bounce from 2005-2007.

It is a challenge which has defied some of the greats.

Maria Sharapova was champion in 2012 but then ended runner-up 12 months later.

Serena Williams swept to the title in 2015 before falling short in the 2016 final.

Since Henin's triple, Francesca Schiavone also joined the near-miss club as her 2010 championship was followed by a runners-up spot the following year.

Before Henin, defending the women's title appeared a lot more straightforward — Steffi Graf achieved it in 1987 and 1988 and again in 1995 and 1996.

Monica Seles racked up three in a row from 1990-1992. Chris Evert went back-to-back three times — 1974-1975, 1979-1980 and 1985-1986.

Swiatek suffered a thigh injury which forced her to retire from her Italian Open quarter-final against eventual champion Elena Rybakina in Rome last week but said she was "positive" about her chances of playing in Paris.

However, the French Open rarely reads the room. Swiatek's 2020 title defense ended a year later in the quarter-finals.

Her successor as champion Barbora Krejcikova lost in the first round when she returned in 2022.