The winter solstice has passed, there are less than 10 days left, 2023 will end, the new year will begin soon, the majority of fans and friends are eagerly looking forward to the start of the 2024 season, full of expectations for the new season. A few days ago, the ATP official website listed the top 10 things to watch in men's tennis in the 2024 season.
1) Can Djokovic achieve the Golden Slam?
The Serbian ace has a 56-7 record in the 2023 season, winning three Grand Slam titles and two ATP Masters 1000 titles, as well as his seventh career ATP Finals title and eighth ATP year-end No. 1 title. Djokovic, who crossed the 400-week mark in the number of world No. 1 weeks at the end of 2023, will also be looking for a record ninth year-end No. 1 in 2024.
Deyo is just one win away from the annual Grand Slam this year, and he has set a lofty goal for the upcoming season: to win all four Grand Slams, as well as a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
2) Can Alcaraz return to the world No. 1 position?
Alcaraz became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history at the age of 19 years and 4 months after winning the 2022 US Open. Espanyol missed major tournaments such as the year-end finals and the Australian Open due to injury at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. After the 2023 season, Alcaraz and Djokovic alternated several times to sit on the world No. 1 throne, and finally the Spaniard ended the 2023 season with the world No. 2 ranking. To regain his position at the top of the rankings, the Spaniard will be keen to get off to a strong start to the new year.
3) Nadal returns
The Spaniard has missed the entire 2023 season due to injury since losing to American player McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open earlier this year. After a nearly year-long break, Nadal will return to the tour in 2024, with Brisbane being his first tournament after returning from injury.
Nadal won four titles in 2022, including the Australian Open and the French Open, but was plagued by injuries in the second half of the season. While Nadal's expectations for a comeback have been reduced, history has shown that a healthy Nadal cannot be underestimated under any circumstances. The left-hander is a 92-time tour winner and has spent 209 weeks in the world number one position.
4) Sinner tries a new breakthrough
Sinner was the hottest player on the ATP Tour at the end of 2023, beating Djokovic twice in singles in the final weeks of the 2023 season to reach the ATP Finals final before leading Italy to the Davis Cup. The success saw Sinner enter the top 5 for the first time and is currently ranked fourth in the world, with a gap of nearly 1,685 points between him and fifth-ranked Rublev. The Italians are looking forward to making a big breakthrough in the new season.
5) Medvedev expects a steady rise in the rankings
The Russian made his debut as world No. 1 in 2022, but dropped back to seventh in the world rankings at the end of that season. After a challenging season, Medvedev moved up to third in the world rankings at the end of 2023.
Two of his five titles in 2023 are at ATP Masters 1000 level, including his first clay Tour title in Rome. Although he didn't win the title in the second half of the season, he reached the final of the US Open and then reached two more Tour finals, proving that his level is close to his best. Medvedev, who is ranked third in the world, will be aiming to maintain this consistency throughout 2024 and sprint higher in the rankings. (To be continued) (Source: Tennis Home Author: Mei)