Table of Contents
From the emergence of Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini to the Sinner-Alcaraz men’s duopoly, through the farewell of Rafael Nadal and the mixed year of Novak Djokovic, the 2024 world tennis season was marked by the transition between generations.
A page turns: Rafael Nadal retired at the end of the season.
ats
The day after Italy’s victory in the Davis Cup, the last major competition of the season, we take stock of the main lessons learned from the past year.
New faces
Aged 22, the Chinese Zheng Qinwen (5th in the world) made a name for herself in January by reaching the final of the Australian Open, ten years after the victory in Melbourne of her compatriot Li Na. She confirmed by winning the Olympic singles title in Paris, before reaching the final of the WTA Masters in Riyadh in November.
Her predecessor in the WTA rankings, the Italian Jasmine Paolini (4th), also revealed herself at 28 years old by entering the final at Roland-Garros then at Wimbledon, before ending her season in style with a victory in the BJK Cup with Italy.
The “Big 3” is (almost) over
With the end of Rafael Nadal’s career in Malaga, two years after that of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic will be the only survivor in 2025 of the “Big 3” which crushed men’s tennis for around fifteen years.
The Serbian had a contrasting year in 2024, finally managing to conquer the Olympic title, the only missing piece from his immense record, but not winning any Grand Slam for the first time since 2017.
His main goal in 2025 will be to win a 25th Grand Slam title, which would make him the only record holder for victories in all four major tournaments.
To try to achieve this, the “Djoker” recruited (at least until the Australian Open) the Scottish Andy Murray, former world No.1 who managed to win two Olympic titles and three Grand Slams. while the “Big 3” were at the top of their game.
Swiatek-The Three, episode
A year after being beaten to the post by Iga Swiatek thanks to the Polish woman’s victory at the WTA Masters in Cancun, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka took her revenge in 2024 and in turn concluded the season as world No.1 , thanks in particular to his successes at the Australian Open and the US Open.
A five-time Grand Slam winner, Swiatek (2nd) conversely experienced a complicated end to the season, between a change of coach and a second half without any trophies.
The duel for the throne should continue in 2025 and the American Coco Gauff (3rd), recent winner of the WTA Masters where she beat Swiatek and Sabalenka, could also shake up the hierarchy.
At barely 20 years old, the one who won the US Open in 2023 has dominated the Belarusian five times in nine confrontations but struggles more against the Pole, who has defeated her eleven times out of thirteen.
Alcaraz-Sinner, who will be the best?
As on the women’s circuit, a duo crushed the 2024 season: world No.1 Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open, the US Open, the Turin ATP Masters and three Masters 1000 and No.3 Carlos Alcaraz won at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Indian Wells, also winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games.
Even though he was beaten by the Spaniard in the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing at the beginning of October, Sinner took a clear advantage at the end of the season over his rival, piling up victories where Alcaraz collected early eliminations on hard court.
The 23-year-old Italian, however, is embroiled in a doping affair, with minute traces of clostebol (an anabolic) having been detected in his body in March. The World Anti-Doping Agency requires a suspension of one to two years for the red-curled champion.
Sandwiched in the rankings between Sinner and Alcaraz, world number 2 Alexander Zverev (27 years old) dreams of finally winning a Grand Slam title in 2025 and reaching the top of the world hierarchy. Olympic champion in 2021, winner of the ATP Masters in 2018 and 2021, the German won the Masters 1000 in Rome and Paris in 2024.
Who is Rafael Nadal?
## World Today Tennis: A Look Back at 2024
**Welcome to World Today News! Today, we’re diving deep into the thrilling world of tennis following the dramatic 2024 season. Joining me are two esteemed guests:**
* **Sofia Garcia:** Tennis analyst and former pro Player.
* **Marcus Lee:** Sports Journalist specializing in tennis reporting.
**Let’s kick things off!**
**Section 1: The Rise of New Stars**
* **Sofia, Zheng Qinwen’s rise to prominence was remarkable. Having made it to the Australian Open final at just 22 years old, what do you think this signals for the future of women’s tennis?**
* **Marcus, Jasmine Paolini also flourished this year, achieving finals runs in both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. How do you see her impacting the WTA rankings in coming years?**
**Section 2: The End of an Era**
* **Marcus, Rafael Nadal’s retirement marks the end of an era for tennis. How do you think his absence will be felt on the court and beyond?**
* **Sofia, with the ‘Big 3’ now down to just Novak Djokovic, what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for him as he chases further Grand Slam titles?**
* **Do you think Djokovic’s collaboration with Andy Murray is a smart strategic move, or could it be a risky gamble? Why?**
**Section 3: The Battle for Supremacy**
* **Sofia, the women’s competition remained fierce this year with Aryna Sabalenka claiming the world No.1 spot. Do you see her reign continuing in 2025, or could Swiatek or Gauff mount a serious challenge?**
* **Marcus, the men’s side saw a compelling rivalry develop between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. What are your predictions for their future matchups, considering Sinner’s recent doping controversy?**
**Section 4: Emerging Contenders**
* **Sofia, Alexander Zverev remains a consistent threat, reaching multiple finals and achieving impressive Masters 1000 victories.
Do you believe he has what it takes to finally clinch his first Grand Slam title in 2025?**
* **Marcus, considering the recent success of young talents like Zheng Qinwen and Sinner, how do you see the tennis landscape evolving over the next few years?**
* **Will veteran players like Djokovic continue to dominate, or are we witnessing the dawn of a new generation of champions?**
**Thank you, Sofia and Marcus. This has been a fascinating exploration of the 2024 season and the future of tennis. We’ll be back with more insightful discussions in the coming weeks.**
