2024 ATP Tour - gallery, interesting facts, review

[Enceladus]

The 2024 season at ATP is in the past. Ends the year in which ratios at men's tennis circuit have fundamentally changed. For the first time in 22 long years, no member of the Big 3 won a Grand Slam title. This year, the Grand Slams were conquered by two young wolfdogs (both born in the 2000s decade), who split them 2 to 2: Jannik Sinner won both HC majors and Carlos Alcaraz triumphed at grandslams on natural surfaces. Although Novak Djokovic didn't increase the number of GS triumphs this year, he finally won the last big trophy that was missing from his cabinet. After a year, there is again a thread in which we can look back at the past season. Enjoy it!

Gallery:

United Cup (Perth/Sydney)
Germany (def. Poland 2–1)
Men's final singles match:
Alexander Zverev (def. Hubert Hurkacz 6–7(3), 7–6(6), 6–4)

Hong Kong Tennis Open
Andrey Rublev (def. Emil Ruusuvuori 6–4, 6–4)

Brisbane International
Grigor Dimitrov (def. Holger Rune 7–6(5), 6–4)

Adelaide International
Jiří Lehečka (def. Jack Draper 4–6, 6–4, 6–3)

Auckland Open
Alejandro Tabilo (def. Taro Daniel 6–2, 7–5)

Australian Open
Jannik Sinner (def. Daniil Medvedev 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3)

Open Sud de France (Montpellier)
Alexander Bublik

Dallas Open
Tommy Paul (def. Marcos Giron 7–6(3), 5–7, 6–3)

Open 13 (Marseille)
Ugo Humbert (def. Grigor Dimitrov 6–4, 6–3)

Córdoba Open
Luciano Darderi (def. Facundo Bagnis 6–1, 6–4)

Rotterdam Open
Jannik Sinner (def. Alex de Minaur 7–5, 6–4)

Delray Beach Open
Taylor Fritz (def. Tommy Paul 6–2, 6–3)

Argentina Open (Buenos Aires)
Facundo Díaz Acosta (def. Nicolás Jarry 6–3, 6–4)

Rio Open (Rio de Janeiro)
Sebastián Báez (def. Mariano Navone 6–2, 6–1)

Qatar Open (Doha)
Karen Khachanov (def. Jakub Menšík 7–6(12), 6–4)

Los Cabos Open
Jordan Thompson (def. Casper Ruud 6–3, 7–6(4))

Dubai Tennis Championships
Ugo Humbert (def. Alexander Bublik 6–4, 6–3)

Mexican Open (Acapulco)
Alex de Minaur (def. Casper Ruud 6–4, 6–4)

Chile Open (Santiago)
Sebastián Baéz (def. Alejandro Tabilo 3–6, 6–0, 6–4)

 

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BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)
Carlos Alcaraz (def. Daniil Medvedev 7–6(5), 6–1)

Miami Open
Jannik Sinner (def. Grigor Dimitrov 6–3, 6–1)

U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships (Houston)
Ben Shelton (def. Frances Tiafoe 7–5, 4–6, 6–3)

Grand Prix Hassan II (Marrakesh)
Matteo Berrettini (def. Roberto Carballés Baena 7–5, 6–2)

Estoril Open (Cascais)
Hubert Hurkacz (def. Pedro Martínez 6–3, 6–4)

Monte-Carlo Masters
Stefanos Tsitsipas (def. Casper Ruud 6–1, 6–4)

Barcelona Open
Casper Ruud (def. Stefanos Tsitsipas 7–5, 6–3)

BMW Open (Munich)
Jan-Lennard Struff (def. Taylor Fritz 7–5, 6–3)

Țiriac Open (Bucharest)
Marton Fucsovics (def. Mariano Navone 6–4, 7–5)

Madrid Open
Andrey Rublev (def. Félix Auger-Aliassime 4–6, 7–5, 7–5)

Italian Open (Rome)
Alexander Zverev (def. Nicolás Jarry 6–4, 7–5)

Geneva Open
Casper Ruud (def. Tomáš Macháč 7–5, 6–3)

Lyon Open
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (def. Tomás Martín Etcheverry 6–4, 1–6, 7–6(7))

French Open (Paris)
Carlos Alcaraz (def. Alexander Zverev 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2)

 

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Stuttgart Open
Jack Draper (def. Matteo Berrettini 3–6, 7–6(5), 6–4)

Libéma Open ('s-Hertogenbosch)
Alex de Minaur (def. Sebastian Korda 6–2, 6–4)

Halle Open
Jannik Sinner (def. Hubert Hurkacz 7–6(8), 7–6(2))

Queen's Club Championships (London)
Tommy Paul (def. Lorenzo Musetti 6–1, 7–6(8))

Mallorca Championships (Santa Ponsa)
Alejandro Tabilo (def. Sebastian Ofner 6–3, 6–4)

Eastbourne International
Taylor Fritz (def. Max Purcell 6–4, 6–3)

Wimbledon Championships (London)
Carlos Alcaraz (def. Novak Djokovic 6–2, 6–2, 7–6(4))

Hall of Fame Open (Newport)
Macros Giron (def. Alex Michelsen 6–7(4), 6–3, 7–5)

Hamburg Open
Arthur Fils (def. Alexander Zverev 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(1))

Swedish Open (Båstad)
Nuno Borges (def. Rafael Nadal 6–3, 6–2)

Swiss Open Gstaad
Matteo Berrettini (def. Quentin Halys 6–3, 6–1)

Generali Open Kitzbühel
Matteo Berrettini (def. Hugo Gaston 7–5, 6–3)

Croatia Open (Umag)
Francisco Cerúndolo (def. Lorenzo Musetti 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(5))

Atlanta Open
Yoshihito Nishioka (def. Jordan Thompson 4–6, 7–6(2), 6–2)

Summer Olympic Games (Paris)
Gold medal match - Novak Djokovic (def. Carlos Alcaraz 7–6(3), 7–6(2))
Bronze medal match - Lorenzo Musetti (def. Félix Auger-Aliassime 6–4, 1–6, 6–3)

 

[Enceladus]

Washington Open
Sebastian Korda (def. Flavio Cobolli 4–6, 6–2, 6–0)

Canadian Open (Montreal)
Alexei Popyrin (def. Andrey Rublev 6–2, 6–4)

Cincinnati Open
Jannik Sinner (def. Frances Tiafoe 7–6(4), 6–2)

Winston-Salem Open
Lorenzo Sonego (def. Alex Michelsen 6–0, 6–3)

US Open (New York City)
Jannik Sinner (def. Taylor Fritz 6–3, 6–4, 7–5)

Chengdu Open
Shang Juncheng (def. Lorenzo Musetti 7–6(4), 6–1)

Hangzhou Open
Marin Cilic (def. Zhang Zhizhen 7–6(5), 7–6(5))

China Open (Beijing)
Carlos Alcaraz (def. Jannik Sinner 6–7(8), 6–4, 7–6(3))

Japan Open (Tokyo)
Arthur Fils (def. Ugo Humbert 5–7, 7–6(6), 6–3)

Shanghai Masters
Jannik Sinner (def. Novak Djokovic 7–6(4), 6–3)

Almaty Open
Karen Khachanov (def. Gabriel Diallo 6–2, 5–7, 6–3)

European Open (Antwerp)
Roberto Bautista Agut (def. Jiří Lehečka 7–5, 6–1)

Stockholm Open
Tommy Paul (def. Grigor Dimitrov 6–4, 6–3)

Swiss Indoors (Basel)
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (def. Ben Shelton 6–4, 7–6(4))

Vienna Open
Jack Draper (def. Karen Khachanov 6–4, 7–5)

Paris Masters
Alexander Zverev (def. Ugo Humbert 6–2, 6–2)

Belgrade Open
Denis Shapovalov (def. Hamad Medjedovič 6–4, 6–4)

Moselle Open (Metz)
Benjamin Bonzi (def. Cameron Norrie 7–6(6) , 6–4)

ATP Finals (Turin)
Jannik Sinner (def. Taylor Fritz 6–4, 6–4)

 

[Enceladus]

Interesting facts:

A total of 12 players have won their first career title this season:

• Alejandro Tabilo in Auckland Open
• Jiří Lehečka in Adelaide International
• Luciano Darderi in Córdoba Open
• Facundo Díaz Acosta in Argentina Open (Buenos Aires)
• Jordan Thompson in Los Cabos Open
• Jan-Lennard Struff in BMW Open (Munich)
• Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Lyon Open
• Jack Draper in Stuttgart Open
• Nuno Borges in Swedish Open (Båstad)
• Marcos Giron in Hall of Fame Open (Newport)
• Shang Juncheng in Chengdu Open
• Benjamin Bonzi in Moselle Open (Metz)

On 4 occasions this season the tournament champion successfully defended his title:

• Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon Championships (London) and BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)
• Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach Open
• Alex de Minaur in Mexican Open (Acapulco)

On 13 occasions the tournament champion won the title without dropping a set:

• Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach Open & Eastbourne International
• Facundo Díaz Acosta in Argentina Open (Buenos Aires)
• Karen Khachanov in Qatar Open (Doha)
• Casper Ruud in Barcelona Open
• Jan-Lennard Struff in BMW Open (Munich)
• Alex de Minaur in Libéma Open ('s-Hertogenbosch)
• Matteo Berrettini in Swiss Open Gstaad & Generali Open Kitzbühel
• Novak Djokovic in Summer Olympic Games
• Lorenzo Sonego in Winston Salem Open
• Tommy Paul in Stockholm Open
• Jannik Sinner in ATP Finals (Turin)

Most titles:
1. Sinner - 8
2. Alcaraz - 4
3. Berrettini & T. Paul - 3

 

[Enceladus]

World Tour Finals participants' season review:

Jannik Sinner carried over his improved form from last season's autumn to this year's, resulting in his first two Grand Slam titles, a rise to No. 1 position in the ATP singles rankings, more than 10k points in rankings and 8 ATP titles, showing that is the best player of the year. Jannik started the season at the Australian Open, where he advanced into the SF of the Grand Slam for the second time in his career. In it, to the surprise of the tennis world, he destroyed the defending champion and tournament record holder Djokovic. The result of this match sent a signal to the tennis world that times are changing and this season will be very different from previous years. Jannik faced Medvedev in his first Grand Slam final. At first it seemed that Jannik was limited by nervousness, his game lacked flair and Medvedev had the upper hand, which he used to gain of the first two sets. After that, however, Jannik recovered and managed to successfully turn the match around. He thus became the first Italian AO winner and the first Italian tennis player since Adriano Panatta in 1976 to win a Grand Slam title. Jannik subsequently won Rotterdam, Miami, in Indian Wells in SF he was not enough for Alcaraz, in Monte Carlo he lost to Tsitsipas at the same stage. At RG, he was aiming for his second Grand Slam triumph in a row, which he was not far from, but in SF he lost to Alcaraz in a balanced and demanding confrontation. Then Jannik won his first title on grass in Halle, in Wimbledon he was among the biggest favorites to win, but in the QF Medvedev surprised him. The fourth title was won by Jannik in Cincinnati, but after this event the news about Jannik's positive tests for the banned substance Clostebol came to light. Thanks to appeals, Jannik was not suspended and only received minor penalties, but it became a scandal in the tennis community, which divides fans and the case itself is not completely closed because of WADA. Jannik didn't let the criticism deter him and at the US Open he came close to his second Grand Slam triumph, defeating Medvedev in the QF and Fritz in the final. After the US Open, he headed to China, losing in the final in Beijing after a close battle with Alcaraz and winning Shanghai, where he beat Djokovic to win his 4th Masters title. He concluded a successful season with a triumph at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Alexander Zverev ends the 2024 season in 2nd place, on his career high, with Masters titles in Rome and Paris-Bercy, but also with some bitter disappointments at Grand Slams. Even this time he failed to win a major, although he was close. He managed to get off to a great started this season, somewhat unexpectedly beating Alcaraz in four sets in the QF at AO. However, he failed to hold a 2–0 sets lead in the clash about final against Medvedev, which happened for the second time in his career, previously in the 2020 US Open final with Thiem. He was even closer to the title at RG, where he had a 2-1 set lead over Alcaraz in the final, but Sascha was pulling the short end of the rope for the rest of the match. Sascha lost to Fritz at Wimbledon 4th round and at the QF of the US Open, although leading 2–0 in sets over Fritz at Wimbledon.

For the third year in a row, Carlos Alcaraz has a season with a Grand Slam title, even with two. However, due to inconsistent performances and injury absences, it is only good enough for him to finish 3rd in the rankings at the end of this season. Carlos became the sixth player in the Open era after Laver, Borg, Nadal, Federer and Djokovic to avieched to the Channel Slam, a triumph at RG and Wimbledon in one season. At RG he had to work really hard to win the title, SF against Sinner and the final against Zverev he had to turn from a 1-2 deficit to sets. He also had to turn a 1-2 deficit into sets at Wimbledon, in the 3rd round against Tiafoe. At Wimbledon, he defended his triumph from last season when he easily outplayed Djokovic in the rematch of the 2023 final. However, Djokovic avenged loss to Carlos a few weeks later in the final of the Olympics in Paris, where, among other things, Carlos played a doubles with Nadal. In addition to two GS trophies, Carlos won two tournament titles, in Indian Wells he beat Medvedev in the final and in Beijing he beat Sinner in a tight fight.

 

[Enceladus]

Daniil Medvedev started the 2024 season at the Australian Open, where he set a record for the time spent on the courts of one Grand Slam event - 24 hours and 17 minutes, plus 31 sets played. He had a very difficult journey to the final, he was forced to play three five-set matches and twice turn from a 0-2 deficit to sets, against Russuvuori and Zverev. He played in the AO final for the third time in his career, in which he had the upper hand over Sinner from the start and won the first two sets, but then the difficult journey through the tournament began to take its toll on Daniil. Sinner recovered from the initial nervousness and turned the final in his favor. Danill experienced dejá vu - he again lost the AO final from a 2-0 lead in sets. And this evidently affected his confidence, he didn't win any tournament title in the 2024 season, apart from the AO he was in the final only in Indian Wells, where he was again defeated by Alcaraz in the rematch of the IW 2023 final. With Sinner and Alcaraz, the two new leaders of the tour, Daniil lost a total of 8 times and was successful only once, over Sinner at Wimbledon QF.

Titles in Delray Beach and Eastbourne, an Olympic bronze medal in doubles with Paul, and final appearances at the US Open and ATP Finals, that's Taylor Fritz's season. Taylor reached his first career Grand Slam final at a domestic Grand Slam, beating Ruud, Zverev and in SF his compatriot Tiafoe in 5 sets. However, he did not even play a set against Sinner in the final. At other Grand Slams, his results were 2x QF and 4th round (at RG). Taylor also did well at the ATP Finals and advanced to the title fight, but again lost to Sinner.

Casper Ruud played 5 finals at ATP tournaments i this season, winning two of them, in Barcelona and Geneva. He experienced the best passage of the year again at the European Clay season, in Monte Carlo he defeated the world number one Djokovic and lost to Tsitsipas in the final, then in Barcelona he succeeded in retaliating against Tsitsipas. At RG Casper reached SF, where, as in the previous year, he faced Zverev and this time the German opponent succeeded.

 

[Enceladus]

Andrey Rublev drew the most attention at the Dubai tournament where he got into a heated argument with a linesman, Andrey didn't like the call of a tight ball, Andrey vented his anger at the referee in question, and another referee overheard him speaking profanity, resulting in a disqualification. Apart from this incident, Andrey won two ATP tournaments, one of which was the Masters in Madrid. Andrey's best major result was a QF at AO, where he didn't even play a set against Sinner.

Alex de Minaur started the 2024 season at the United Cup, helping his team to wins over USA, Great Britain and Serbia. He defeated World No. 1 Djokovic and other TOP tennis players Fritz and Zverev. He advanced to the 4th round at the home Grand Slam, Australian Open, where he was not enough for Rublev in a close fight. At the tournament in Rotterdam, he avenged his loss to Rublev and advanced to the final after winning over Dimitrov, where he was not good enough for Sinner. At the tournament in Acapulco, he defended his triumph from last season, defeating Tsitsipas in the QF and Ruud in the final. In addition to Acapulco, he also won the title on grass in s'Hertogenbosch. As for the majors, in addition to the 4th round at the AO, he made his first career QF at the RG, reached the QF at Wimbledon but missed the match with Djokovic due to injury, and also reached the QF at the US Open.
Thanks to Djokovic's withdrawal from the ATP Finals, Alex played a WTF tournament for the first time, but lost all three of his group matches against Sinner, Medvedev and Fritz.

Despite successfully qualifying, Novak Djokovic decided not to participate in the ATP Finals, but I can't miss him here, especially because of his triumph at Olympics.

It is paradoxical that Novak Djokovic managed to win an Olympic gold medal in an otherwise unsuccessful year for him. He didn't win a Grand Slam event, and he didn't win any other tournament outside of the Olympics. He lost the position of World No. 1 and ended the season in 7th place in the ranking. He also parted ways with his coach Goran Ivanišević. As if he was saving all his happiness and energy for the one trophy that was missing from his rich collection of triumphs. He tried unsuccessfully for Olympic gold several times in the past, in Beijing 2008 he won a bronze medal in singles, but ended up without a medal at the next three Olympics. He took the loss to del Potro in Rio 2016 or Zverev in Tokyo 2021 very hard. He was even more motivated to succeed in Paris, at the RG area. On the way to the final, he defeated Nadal (with whom he played the jubilee 60th and last mutual match on the ATP Tour), Tsitsipas or Musetti. In the final, Nole faced Alcaraz, who had easily defeated Nole in the Wimbledon final a few weeks earlier. However, their encounter in the OG finals had a different dynamic, it was an even and tense battle, a test of the toughness of both fighters. In the first set, it looked like Nole would not be able to withstand the brutal pressure of Carlos, but he resisted and managed to win the opening set in TB, he also won the second set in TB and could start celebrating. He completed the career Golden Slam and the career Super Slam.

 

[Enceladus]

Honorable mention:

This year, three top tennis players announced their retirement, to whom I would like to dedicate the following medallions. The range of their achievements is different, the first won more than 20 Grand Slams, was world number one for a long time and is considered one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the game, the second gained 3 Grand Slam titles, 2 Olympic golds in singles, WTF title and was awarded the title of Sir by his Queen, the third player won one Grand Slam event in a somewhat unusual atmosphere and reached 3rd place in the world ranking. However, all three of them stood out on the Tour and won the favor of tennis fans.

Few tennis players in the history of the game have been as rock-solid and tenacious on the courts as Rafael Nadal Parera. And no one has dominated one particular surface like he has. Rafa was a tennis gladiator and King of Clay. He made an empire out of clay tournaments and from the French Open clay Grand Slam his foremost domain, where he achieved an impressive 14 winners' trophies. He won the next three clay tournaments (Monte-Carlo, Rome, Barcelona) at least 10 times, in total he won over 60 ATP clay tournaments. However, Rafa was not a clay specialist, he celebrated success on other surfaces as well. He won Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open several times, on grass he achieved his biggest career victory when he defeated Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final in a spectacular and exciting fight, this match is considered by many fans and experts to be the best match in the history of tennis. Rafa also played the longest Grand Slam final in history, Australian Open 2012, which lasted almost 6 hours, but there Djokovic was beyond his strength. With Federer and Djokovic, Rafa had two fascinating rivalries and together they formed a triumvirate, called the Big 3, that dominated the ATP Tour in a way that no other group of tennis players don't managed in the past. And they played many epic matches against each other.
Rafa's game was characterized by the use of heavy topspin shots, quick movement around the court, excellent coverage of the court. He had an excellent offensive and defensive and he could alternate both principles, in other words he had an excellent transition from defense to attack. His best shot is considered to be the FH, with which Rafa was able to play a number of epic winning shots.
Nadal retires with 22 Grand Slam titles, 209 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, 92 ATP tournaments won, and Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles.
Adios, Bull!

Andrew Barron Murray, the champion of 3 Grand Slams, the holder of two Olympic gold medals in singles, the winner of the ATP Finals, the World No. 1 and the winner of 46 ATP tournaments, decided to retire this year after several years of suffering. Leaving the tennis scene is the player who, with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, formed a group called the Big 4, defined not by the scale of their achievements, but by their consistent participation in the top stages of major tournaments. In short, Andy reliably beat the rest of the field, but his three biggest competitors separated him from the triumph at the majors. The change came with the engagement of Ivan Lendl, a tennis legend who particularly boosted Andy's confidence in big matches. Under Lendl's guidance, Andy won the 2012 London Olympics, which took place on the grounds of Wimbledon, where he avenged Federer's several weeks-old defeat in the Wimbledon Championships in the final, destroying his dream of an Olympic gold medal in singles. This was followed by a triumph at the US Open, where he defeated defending champion Djokovic in a long and dramatic final. The following year in 2013, Murray won Wimbledon and became a hero for his country, as he ended Britain's long 77-year wait for a home Wimbledon champion. Andy's triumph was even watched by then Prime Minister David Cameron. Andy repeated his Wimbledon triumph in 2016 and in the same season he also managed to become World No. 1. 2016 was the best year of his career, he played in 3 Grand Slam finals and won one, won the Olympics and ATP Finals and gained the YE1 award. In the later phase of his career, he did not follow up on these results, he struggled with form and physical problems.
Andy had an all-court game with an emphasis on defensive baseline play. His strengths included groundstrokes with low error rate, the ability to anticipate and react. Andy had one of the best two-handed backhands on the tour and excelent lobs.
Goodbye, Sir Andy!

In his prime years, Dominic Thiem was a consistent challenger to Djokovic and Nadal on hard surface and clay. He reached 3rd place in the ATP rankings. Despite being nicknamed the Prince of Clay, he fell short of a big clay title, but made up for it on hard surface, winning his only Grand Slam title, the 2020 US Open, as well as the Masters trophy at Indian Wells. But back to the US Open, because Thiem won this title in an unusual atmosphere, due to covid restrictions, the entire tournament, including the final, was played without spectators, an unprecedented thing in the history of tennis. In the final, Dominic had to turn a 0-2 deficit into sets against Zverev. Unfortunately, the triumph at the US Open didn't encourage Dominic to win other big tournaments, but it meant a loss of motivation for his, which was compounded by a wrist injury, which resulted in a drop in the rankings and a disappearance from the spotlight of the tennis world. Dominic hasn't been able to make a proper comeback in the past few years, so this year he decided to hang up his racket.
Dominic was primarily an aggressive baseline player who was also adept at defending. His strokes were solid on both wings, with a heavy forehand and a tenacious, powerful one-handed backhand.
Goodbye, Domi!

 

[Mainad]

Great work @Enceladus, thank you!

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

Interesting facts:

A total of 12 players have won their first career title this season:

• Alejandro Tabilo in Auckland Open
• Jiří Lehečka in Adelaide International
• Luciano Darderi in Córdoba Open
• Facundo Díaz Acosta in Argentina Open (Buenos Aires)
• Jordan Thompson in Los Cabos Open
• Jan-Lennard Struff in BMW Open (Munich)
• Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Lyon Open
• Jack Draper in Stuttgart Open
• Nuno Borges in Swedish Open (Båstad)
• Marcos Giron in Hall of Fame Open (Newport)
• Shang Juncheng in Chengdu Open
• Benjamin Bonzi in Moselle Open (Metz)

On 4 occasions this season the tournament champion successfully defended his title:

• Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon Championships (London) and BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)
• Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach Open
• Alex de Minaur in Mexican Open (Acapulco)

On 12 occasions the tournament champion won the title without dropping a set:

• Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach Open & Eastbourne International
• Facundo Díaz Acosta in Argentina Open (Buenos Aires)
• Karen Khachanov in Qatar Open (Doha)
• Casper Ruud in Barcelona Open
• Jan-Lennard Struff in BMW Open (Munich)
• Alex de Minaur in Libéma Open ('s-Hertogenbosch)
• Matteo Berrettini in Swiss Open Gstaad & Generali Open Kitzbühel
• Novak Djokovic in Summer Olympic Games
• Lorenzo Sonego in Winston Salem Open
• Tommy Paul in Stockholm Open

Most titles:
1. Sinner - 8
2. Alcaraz - 4
3. Berrettini & T. Paul - 3

Interesting year on the men's side. Although the tendency is to focus on Sinner and Alcaraz, one wonders if some of the other 2 title and more players (e.g., Fils) might have the goods to break through at one of 2025's majors...

World Tour Finals participants' season review:

Jannik Sinner carried over his improved form from last season's autumn to this year's, resulting in his first two Grand Slam titles, a rise to No. 1 position in the ATP singles rankings, more than 10k points in rankings and 8 ATP titles, showing that is the best player of the year. Jannik started the season at the Australian Open, where he advanced into the SF of the Grand Slam for the second time in his career. In it, to the surprise of the tennis world, he destroyed the defending champion and tournament record holder Djokovic. The result of this match sent a signal to the tennis world that times are changing and this season will be very different from previous years. Jannik faced Medvedev in his first Grand Slam final. At first it seemed that Jannik was limited by nervousness, his game lacked flair and Medvedev had the upper hand, which he used to gain of the first two sets. After that, however, Jannik recovered and managed to successfully turn the match around. He thus became the first Italian AO winner and the first Italian tennis player since Adriano Panatta in 1976 to win a Grand Slam title. Jannik subsequently won Rotterdam, Miami, in Indian Wells in SF he was not enough for Alcaraz, in Monte Carlo he lost to Tsitsipas at the same stage. At RG, he was aiming for his second Grand Slam triumph in a row, which he was not far from, but in SF he lost to Alcaraz in a balanced and demanding confrontation. Then Jannik won his first title on grass in Halle, in Wimbledon he was among the biggest favorites to win, but in the QF Medvedev surprised him. The fourth title was won by Jannik in Cincinnati, but after this event the news about Jannik's positive tests for the banned substance Clostebol came to light. Thanks to appeals, Jannik was not suspended and only received minor penalties, but it became a scandal in the tennis community, which divides fans and the case itself is not completely closed because of WADA. Jannik didn't let the criticism deter him and at the US Open he came close to his second Grand Slam triumph, defeating Medvedev in the QF and Fritz in the final. After the US Open, he headed to China, losing in the final in Beijing after a close battle with Alcaraz and winning Shanghai, where he beat Djokovic to win his 4th Masters title. He concluded a successful season with a triumph at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Sinner seems so energetic and happy to be in the sport (that cannot be said of many players), and it would be foolish to bet against his winning at least another two majors in 2025.

 

[Hitman]

OP, fantastic thread.

The good doctor will be smiling somewhere.

 

[NoleFam]

OP, fantastic thread.

The good doctor will be smiling somewhere.

Yes good work. The good doctor would be proud.

 

[Enceladus]

ATP ranking (TOP 10) at the end of 2024:

 

[Tallawah Tennis]

Great work @Enceladus, thank you!

Yah man, ditto that. Will enjoy reading the recap.

 

[Enceladus]

The Italian tennis team has defended its Davis Cup triumph, the traditional men's team competition. Italy has achieved a rare double, winning both the men's and women's team competitions in the same year, something only the USA, Australia, Russia and Czechia have previously achieved.

Davis Cup
Italy (def. Netherlands 2-0)
Final matches:
Matteo Berrettini (def. Botic van de Zandschulp 6–4, 6–2)
Jannik Sinner (def. Tallon Griekspoor 7–6(2), 6–2)

 

[weakera]

There really needs to be an established standard for whether the runner-up stands on the left or right of the winner.