Simona Halep is currently fourth in the world rankings but will jump to the top spot if she wins today.

"It's a big challenge, a big chance. I think I have the game and I have the mentality to win, but it's going to be tough," said Halep, who lost to Maria Sharapova in three sets in the 2014 French Open final.

"I'm much better now, stronger and my attitude is better - I'm a different player than in 2014. I think more about the game, I play smarter and also physically."

On her 20-year-old opponent, Halep, bidding to become just the fifth player to win both the girls' and women's singles titles at Roland Garros, added: "I have never played against her so I don't know what to expect from her. She's much younger than me. Of course she has nothing to lose."

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Jelena Ostapenko is already a star in her native Latvia, after becoming the first Latvian to reach a Grand Slam final, with the country's president, Raimonds Vejonis, among those impressed.

The 20-year-old, who would be the first unseeded player ever to win the French Open, said: "I got a lot of calls from Latvia, even the president of the country called. He actually called my mum because nobody knows my phone.

"But yeah, it was really nice, because the president called. That means a lot already.

"Tennis is not popular in our country because it's a kind of expensive sport. I think I will have a lot of attention when I come back home."

Ostapenko, the 2014 junior Wimbledon champion, added: "I need to stay aggressive and play my game. It's going to be a tough match and I have to be ready for it."

Image source, Getty Images

Who has been the most important person who has rang you today? Your partner? Your mum? The president??

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

It's a huge afternoon for both finalists, but particularly for Halep you sense. She knows this is the tournament she has been expected to win and, after a couple of scrapes, has an unseeded opponent in the final.

Aussie coach Darren Cahill was taking her through her drills on Chatrier earlier - he has had to have stern words with the Romanian at times this year, basically telling her she has to work out problems for herself in a couple of matches that slipped away. Halep seems to have taken that on board at Roland Garros.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Both players walk out on to a sun-filled Chatrier, Ostapenko strolling out first, holding the hand of a ball-boy, Halep following a few moments later.

Martina Navratilova is backing Halep. And going for the Romanian in two. Anyone care to disagree with the great? Me neither.

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It's in the house! The prize at stake - the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen - is carefully placed into a prime position overlooking Chatrier, the trophy sitting in a neat wooden case which opened by a bloke I'm led to believe is an actor. True Blood? Never heard of it.

Image source, AFP

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

Image source, BBC Sport

Romanian fans have been out in force all morning at Roland Garros, with red, yellow and blue flags visible all around the grounds. I couldn't track down a Latvian despite three circuits of Roland Garros, but I'm sure they're out there somewhere, sensibly hiding from roaming media types.

Not surprisingly, Halep fans do not envisage their woman having a great deal of difficulty this afternoon. "No problem!" they boom. Ostapenko's 245 winners in the tournament so far suggest it might not be straightforward.

Image source, BBC Sport

OnsideVIEW: Halep to win 6-3 6-2.

Imagine how fast Jelena Ostapenko's heart is pumping now. She's moments away from her first Grand Slam final, the weight of a whole nation on her shoulders.

Remember, the 20-year-old is the first Latvian to reach a Grand Slam final.

So how did we get here?

Take a look at these videos, courtesy of the WTA Twitter account, to see how Simona Halep and Jelena Ostapenko reached the final.

BBC Sport app users may need to click on the links to see the videos.

BBC Radio 5 live will be bringing you commentary of the women's final in Paris.

Russell Fuller is joined in the commentary box by French former tour player Camille Pin, who played at Roland Garros between 2001 and 2009.

Image source, BBC Sport

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

Image source, BBC Sport

After a grim two weeks of unremitting greyness and rain last year, the French Open 2017 has pretty much delivered in terms of weather, and the finals weekend looks like capping it off in style. Temperatures will nudge 30C apparently, and spectators without Chatrier tickets will have to choose between sunshine or shade this afternoon.

Image source, BBC Sport

Bonjour! How are we? Good? Excellent.

Someone is going to win their first Grand Slam title today.

Simona Halep, the Romanian third seed and 2014 finalist, is probably where the smart money is going, but write off unseeded Latvian Jelean Ostapenko at your peril.

The world number 47 has already seen off two Grand Slam finalists in Sam Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki. Can she make it a treble?

Image source, Getty Images

And something might be the same as 1979 in the tennis world. An unseeded woman winning her debut tour-level at a Grand Slam.

Jelena Ostapenko has come out of virtually nowhere to come within one win of a sensational French Open victory.

There's one problem. Simona Halep is standing in her way.

1979. Some of you won't have even been born.

Britain had a female Prime Minister. Arsenal won the FA Cup. Blondie were cool.

Some things don't change...

Image source, Getty Images