For the last two decades, a small handful of tennis superstars have dominated the sport. The likes of Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic rose to the top of the Grand Slams time and time again.
However, eras of the best tennis players come and go, and the iron-clad certainty of stars such as Nadal and Djokovic winning the Grand Slams has ended. The golden age of tennis is sliding into its twilight years, and while this could be met with a hint of sadness, it opens the doors for the next generation of stars.
An end is only a new beginning, which leaves tennis fans wondering who the next stars will be to reign at the top of the sport in 2024.
Who are the players to watch out for in 2024?
With increasing frequency, we are seeing newer players grab titles worldwide, both in the men’s and women’s games. The 2024 ATP and WTA season will see that trend continue as the latest batch of top tennis players continue to build their careers. Here are the players you can expect to see fighting for the top honours in 2024.
Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev already has a Grand Slam title after his breakthrough success at the 2021 US Open. However, the Russian lost five of his first six Grand Slam finals, four of which were against either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.
Medvedev’s 2020 ATP Finals title saw him become the first-ever player to beat the top three players in the world at an edition of the tournament. With the great legends starting to wind down their careers, this is prime time for Medvedev. Having seen the likes of Djokovic play well into his 30s, Medvedev, a big counterpuncher and former world number one, still has plenty of time on his side to start racking up major crowns. Ahead of the 2024 ATP season, he had claimed six Masters titles and is also a former ATP Finals Champion.
Carlos Alcaraz
It’s a no-brainer to expect Carlos Alcaraz to shine brightly in 2024. The young Spaniard has already risen to the top of the sport with two Grand Slam titles. His first came at the 2022 US Open before he added the Wimbledon title the following year, leaving him with a 100% record in Grand Slam finals at that point.
Alcaraz has already posted some remarkable records, becoming not only the youngest player to win the Miami Open and Madrid Open but also the youngest player ever to reach the number-one spot in the ATP Rankings. He was 19 years and four months old when he reached the summit. The second half of the 2023 season was a wash for him, but he is one of the best tennis players and should be leading the charge for titles in 2024.
Jannik Sinner
Italian youngster Jannik Sinner started 2024 with a bang by scooping up the first major on offer, the Australian Open, after falling 2-0 down in the final against Daniil Medvedev. This came at the start of Sinner’s sixth professional season, making it fascinating to see how much further he will now push on.
Sinner won his first ATP title in 2020, and in 2023, he grabbed his first ATP Masters 1000 title and was runner-up at the ATP World Tour Finals to Djokovic. Sinner has the height and power – and now, with a Grand Slam title achieved, the former NextGen Finals winner looks as if he could be ready for a big 2024.
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff seems to have been around forever but only turns 20 in March 2024. The youngster has already made a considerable name for herself, and her deep run to the final of the 2022 French Open put her on the map. Gauff had already impressed with other reasonable Grand Slam efforts for her age, such as a fourth-round finish on her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon in 2019 and again at the Australian Open in 2020. But now she appears to be kicking into a new gear.
The pinnacle of her short and explosive career so far came at the end of the 2023 season, when she claimed the US Open title. With ever-growing maturity and fortitude, Gauff becomes a more significant threat every time she steps onto the court.
Iga Świątek
Iga Świątek has a proven track record of being one of the best tennis players in the world. The Polish superstar had already racked up four Grand Slam titles by the end of 2023 at the young age of 22. Three of those four titles were at the French Open, with a US Open crown squeezed in. Świątek was only 17 when she broke into the world’s top 50 and became the first Polish player (male or female) to hold the world number one spot.
In 2022, Świątek went on one of the most incredible runs in tennis that has ever been produced in the Open Era. She won 37 consecutive matches, picking up two Grand Slam crowns during the sequence. Świątek finished as the world number one at the end of 2023 after taking the WTA Finals, so expect her to be dominating the courts again in 2024.
Holger Rune
Holger Rune is another of the young players on the circuit waiting to step out of the shadows of the greats. The Danish player, who has a very natural game, claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title in 2022 in Paris.
Rune is still waiting to make his breakthrough past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, but his consistency is improving. He had quietly climbed up into the top four in the world in 2023, and there is further progress to come from the former Junior French Open champion.
Ben Shelton
The US could have another future superstar to follow in the footsteps of former greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Ben Shelton has a massive serve, using his 6ft 4 height to his advantage. His first Grand Slam appearance ended in a first-round loss at the 2022 US Open. However, in 2023, the American player took a rapid step forward by reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals and the US Open’s final four.
With such a prolific service game, he can potentially work his way further up the rankings in 2024 after breaking into the top 15 last year.
Zheng Qinwen
The Chinese player has been touted by many as the next big tennis sensation. She has a slightly unorthodox style, as it’s more a game of control and technique over power. She generates tremendous spin on her forehand, which adds some dangerous speed.
‘Queen Wen’ reached her first WTA Tour final in 2022 and broke into the world’s top 15 for the first time in 2023. After powering her way to the final of the 2024 Australian Open, just the second Chinese player to do so, this could be a breakthrough year for the youngster.
Naomi Osaka
Yes, it’s a name we are all familiar with, but Naomi Osaka, a two-time US Open Champion, has confirmed her plans to participate again in 2024. After a long hiatus from the game, Osaka made her return at the 2024 Australian Open, bowing out in the first round.
The four-time Grand Slam winner has a long road back to the top, but expect to see plenty of the 26-year-old on the comeback trail. Her motivation to get back to the top could see her seamlessly slip back into the groove when the rustiness wears off at some point during the year.
Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina made her Grand Slam breakthrough in 2022 by spectacularly capturing the Wimbledon title. She followed this with a runners-up spot at the Australian Open the following year.
Playing under the flag of Kazakhstan, the Russian-born player has a career-high ranking of third in the world. The former Junior Wimbledon champion has the goods to put more majors in the bag.
Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka has power and precision in spades. After so many near misses in the latter stages of Grand Slams, she is now a proven champion after winning back-to-back Australian Open titles.
Sabalenka’s 2024 Australian Open title saw her reach at least the semi-finals in six consecutive Grand Slams. The Belarusian’s record speaks for itself, and she is improving vastly.
Will the elite still compete?
Novak Djokovic will likely still be hunting for more major titles in 2024. The Serbian keeps going; an example is his recent season, winning three of the four 2023 Grand Slams. He can’t be written off just yet, and there are places you expect him to shine, such as at Wimbledon, where he is a seven-time champion.
With Roger Federer having hung up his racquet, Andy Murray a shadow of his former Grand Slam-winning self, and Rafael Nadal plagued by countless injuries, the changing of the elite guard is here. It’s now all about which new-generation players will rise to superstar status.
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