French Open Preview: 3 things you need to know about the women's tournament

Even with some prestigious Premier tournaments dotting the schedule, the nearly four months separating Grand Slams in Melbourne and Paris can feel like a sleepy spell in the tennis season.

Since Serena Williams bashed her way to a sixth Australian Open crown, the tour has traversed the southern United States and western Europe, winter has raged and abated, spring has come and very nearly gone. That's why - on top of the eminent romanticism of Paris - the capper to clay season brings an added dose of anticipation. We've been dreaming a long time.

Now lift those heavy eyelids; the French Open is finally upon us! Here are three things you need to know about the coming fortnight at Roland Garros:

Serena, or Maria?

The World Nos. 1 and 2 account for each of the last three French Open titles, are the only active players to have won the tournament more than once (twice each), and share the active lead for total clay-court titles (11).

We all know that if it comes down to a head-to-head in the final, Serena is walking away with the trophy. But Sharapova, the 2014 champ, looks to have the better chance of emerging from her half of the draw.

It's been an abbreviated clay season for Serena, who played in Madrid - suffering her only loss of the season against eventual champ Petra Kvitova - and then pulled out of Rome with an elbow injury after one match. Reading too much into Serena's pre-tournament form has left many a prognosticator with egg on the face, but the truth is she's never had much success (by her standards) at Roland Garros; her title run in 2013 is the only time she's even been past the quarters since 2003. And the fact that she's still complaining about elbow pain is a troubling sign.

Sharapova, meanwhile, has built herself into the most consistent clay-courter on tour, and is coming off a huge tournament win in Rome. Her draw is no cakewalk, but she has an easier road than Serena, who’s staring down a third-round match against Victoria Azarenka.

The middle is muddled

The top four - Serena, Sharapova, Simona Halep, and Kvitova - remain firmly entrenched, exactly where they were in Melbourne, and all four are obvious threats to win this tournament.

Past that, though, good luck getting a handle on who's going to do what. The top 20 has been an incomprehensible mess all season, from the up-and-down performances of Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber to the quietly lousy showings of Ana Ivanovic and Ekaterina Makarova to the out-and-out tire fires consuming Aga Radwanska and Genie Bouchard. In other words, those looking for a dark horse would do best to veer away from the fringe contenders they've grown used to.

Instead, less heralded up-and-comers should be counted on to make a splash in Paris - women like Karolina Pliskova, Timea Bacsinszky, Garbine Muguruza, Elina Svitolina, and, more than anyone ...

The scalding-hot Carla Suarez Navarro

Suarez Navarro busted into the top 10 for the first time this season and quickly proved she belongs.

Now up to a career-best No. 8, she's won more matches in 2015 than any other player, while amassing a 17-4 record in three-setters. She’s got nine wins over top-10 players. For context, no other woman has more than five such wins. She's made it at least as far as the quarterfinals in every tournament she's played save the Aussie Open. In Rome, she knocked off Kvitova (the third time she's beaten the World No. 4 this year) and Halep in back-to-back matches, then pushed Sharapova to the limit in the final.

Much of Suarez Navarro's surprising success has come on hardcourts, but her game is more naturally conducive to the dirt. She moves and defends extremely well, hits with plenty of variety, and uncorks a topspin-heavy one-handed backhand.

She's also fortunate to be in the opposite half of the draw to Serena, who's taken all six matches and all 12 sets the two have played. (Suarez Navarro hasn't won more than three games in any of those sets, and five have been bagels.)

She'll still likely have to deal with Sharapova in the quarters, but outside of Serena, Suarez Navarro might be the best bet to oust the defending champ.