Li Na’s momentous French Open title win of 2011 was expected to open the floodgates for Asian - and in particular Chinese - players in world tennis.
Two years on, little has changed with sixth-ranked Li being the only Asian player currently ranked inside the woman’s global top 30.
Compatriot Peng Shuai is 34th, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei is 42nd and Ayumi Morita of Japan is one step further back.
India’s Sania Mirza is now more focussed on her doubles play, while at 35 years old Tamarine Tanasugarn is firmly in the twilight of her career.
Li apart, none of the Asian contingent is expected to progress far in the draw on the claycourts at Roland Garros and that will come as a blow to the head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Stacey Allaster, who has identified Asia as the bright future of tennis.
Allaster, who has recognised the importance of Li to the sport, is pulling out all the stops to commercialise the women’s game on the continent, especially with flagging interest in the United States.