2024: a Year in Review for the ATP & WTA
As 2024 winds down, Tennis Warehouse looks back at the biggest moments from this especially memorable season.
January:
ATP: Jannik Sinner wins his maiden Grand Slam in epic fashion, coming back from 0-2 sets down against Daniil Medvedev. He did all this after beating Novak Djokovic in a nearly flawless semifinal performance, where he didn’t face a single break point all match. Sinner only dropped one set en route to the final, looking thoroughly dominant over the fortnight.
WTA: Aryna Sabalenka becomes the first woman to defend her AO title since Victoria Azarenka from 2012-’13. Coming into the 2024 season with lofty expectations, Sabalenka got off to a roaring start, speed-running her way to a second Australian Open title in as many years, all without dropping a set. Coco Gauff would push her the most, but only to a tiebreak, nothing more.
Gear Spotlight: Head Speed 2024. One of Head’s most iconic franchises gets an overhaul for 2024. Featuring increased stability and a higher swingweight than its predecessor, this iteration of the Speed in 2024 caters to players desiring more comfort and better results from their setup. Head’s signature Auxetic 2 dampening technology is added into the handle and more of the hoop in order to boost comfort and responsiveness simultaneously.
February:
ATP: The arrival of Joao Fonseca on tour in his home country of Brazil. After securing his first ATP win, rising junior player Joao Fonseca produced a thrilling quarterfinal run in Rio, delighting local fans with his thunderous forehand and creative point construction. While he continues to climb the ranks in order to qualify for big tournaments more easily, Fonseca is definitely a name to watch in the years to come.
WTA: The Jasmine Paolini Renaissance kicks off with a gritty WTA 1000 win in Qatar, saving multiple championship points against Anna Kalinskaya. After having never advanced past a quarterfinal in her WTA 1000 career, Paolini took the tennis world by storm and surprise, upsetting multiple top 50 players en route to her biggest career title to date. This would only be the beginning for Paolini, who would go on to make the final of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, making her the first player since Serena Williams to do so.
Gear Spotlight: Wilson Blade v9. One of the most iconic racquets for both pro’s and recreational players alike. This update features Wilson’s patented “staple” grommets for easier long-term maintenance in addition to increased quality control for better spec variance on frames. Additionally, the power access is upped to mirror the Blades of old, which will delight longtime fans of the frame.
March:
ATP: Carlos Alcaraz goes back-to-back to defend his title, for the first ATP Indian Wells title defense since Djokovic in 2016. Furthermore, he had to deal with a swarm of bees in one of his matches! Alcaraz and Sinner played in an iconic semifinal match, with ticket prices for single box seats peaking at over $800,000…
WTA: Iga Swiatek dominance in Tennis Paradise. The Pole didn’t drop more than four games or a single set in any of her matches on her way to the title. Across the board she wiped the floor with her opponents, denying any of them the chance to even get into a set really.
Gear Spotlight: 30 Years of Babolat Pure Drive. One of the most iconic and beloved racquets of all time gets a special re-release for its 30th anniversary. Seen everywhere amongst junior, collegiate, and pro players, the Babolat Pure Drive is special for a reason. This 30th anniversary edition harkens back to the frame’s origins with its all-black bumper and grommets, white Babolat side stripes, and a timeless blue marbled colorway.
April:
ATP: A Clay to Remember. Ben Shelton wins his first clay title, Stefanos Tsitsipas wins his third Monte Carlo title in four years, and Andrey Rublev wins his second Masters 1000 in Madrid. Americans winning titles on clay? Leave it to Ben Shelton to push the norms of what is expected of him and his countrymen. Peak performance when it matters most? Since Nadal’s Monte Carlo reign has ended, it looks like the mantle has been picked up by Tsitsipas. Ruthless Rublev? The fiery player blasted his way to a second Masters 1000 title in a season otherwise marred by disappointing results.
WTA: Fresh off her maiden WTA 1000 in her home state of Florida, Danielle Collins continued her run of dominance while switching surfaces en route to a title on the clay in Charleston, less than two weeks later. Such a dominant stretch in such a short time, while playing on two vastly different surfaces, is practically unheard of.
May:
ATP: Gio the Giant makes his mark. Playing on his favorite surface in his hometown of Lyon, France, Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard stormed his way to his first career title, saving a championship point, and doing so all as a wild-card entry. This title run would set him up rankings-wise for playing his way into the fourth round at Wimbledon.
WTA: On her way to a fourth French Open title in the last five years, Iga mounts a clay-season hat trick at the three biggest WTA tournaments on the surface. After a thrilling encounter in Madrid against Sabalenka, the pair reunited in the finals of Rome to slug it out for another WTA 1000, also going the way of Iga.
Gear Spotlight: Head Gravity MP XL. For the first time in nearly two decades, Head releases a flagship extended length frame. This racquet truly is a one of a kind, pairing a 16x20 pattern with a teardrop hoop, and a manageable 305-gram static weight. The Gravity line is renowned for its control, and this extended length option adds some extra power and reach, rounding out the experience to make for a seriously versatile frame.
June:
ATP: End of an era, start of a new one. In somewhat fitting fashion, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in the final of Roland Garros in what would be Rafael Nadal’s last appearance at the French Open. The young Spaniard watched his legendary countryman fall to Zverev in a cruel first round matchup, with Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic also looking on in the stands.
WTA: Diana Shnaider wins her biggest title to date, a WTA 500, in Bad Homburg, Germany. The 20-year old’s future seems very bright after her breakthrough 2024 performance, with multiple deep tournament runs. Shnaider was tested throughout the tournament against numerous top 50 opponents, but her grittiness was on full display. She confidently dispatched a resurgent Emma Navarro and Donna Vekic, both in three sets in the semifinals and finals.
July:
ATP: Tennis completed. At long last, Novak Djokovic claimed his maiden Olympic Gold medal in a rematch of the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz a few weeks earlier. Going into the 2024 season, Djokovic said that the Gold medal was his “biggest priority” and he claimed it in scintillating fashion, winning one of the matches of the year in an epic battle against his 16-years younger rival. July also marked the end of a remarkable career for a certain Andy Murray, who hung up his racquet after falling in doubles at the Olympic games. Murray will always be remembered as one of the few who could even hang with the Big 3, prompting the creation of a “Big 4” for tennis’ elite.
WTA: It’s a Barbora world! Since pulling off an incredible singles and doubles sweep at the 2021 French Open, Barbora Krejčíková has been relatively quiet on the singles slam front, that is, until now! Tested thoroughly throughout the tournament, Krejčíková certainly had to dig deep, pulling off multiple three-set wins and tiebreaks on her way to a stunning title over in-form Paolini.
August:
Gear Spotlight: Wilson RF 01 line. Featuring an entirely new mold and redesign, Roger Federer introduces his most signature frame yet. With models at different weight classes for every kind of player, Federer brings his signature touch and finesse to a more accessible range for either the novice, intermediate, or advanced player. The racquet was designed to give Federer more spin, speed, and power on his forehand, and this rang true for our team of testers too!
ATP: Popyrin pops off! Following a stunning run to a first Master’s 1000 title in Montreal, Alexei Popyrin played his way into stellar form, seeing off defending champion Djokovic at the US Open less than a month later. This first victory against Djokovic helped to avenge his two Slam losses earlier in the season to the same opponent.
WTA: The summer of Sabalenka. After a dominant display in Cincinnati (where she didn’t drop a set all week), Sabalenka continued her torrential form to a first US Open title, her second Slam of the year. This victory was quite sweet, as Sabalenka fell just short in the final the year before.
September:
ATP: Sincaraz: Episode 10. With a chance to level their head-to-head at 5-5, Jannik Sinner met none other than Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Beijing 500 tournament. Their match proved to be an instant classic (like most of their matchups so far) and Alcaraz ultimately prevailed to take a 6-4 lead in their iconic tussles. This thrilling rivalry certainly is must-watch tennis for many years to come.
WTA: You go, Coco! After failing to defend her US Open title, plenty of eyes were on Coco Gauff as she looked to redeem her comparatively lackluster 2024 season, only winning one other title before this one, all the way back in the first week of the year in Auckland. In Beijing, something seemed to awaken inside Coco, and she stormed through a formidable draw en route to her second WTA 1000 title.
October:
ATP: French flair is in the air! October was a strong month for French tennis players, with Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard winning his second ATP title in Basel, and first at the 500 level, largely owing to his tour-best serving (per ATP Infosys stats). Elsewhere, Ugo Humbert in front of his home crowd produced his career-best results during his run to the finals of the Paris Master’s 1000; the only tournament at that level to played indoors. During the earlier rounds, Humbert pulled off one of the wins of his life, beating Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling three-set encounter, in addition to fending off the likes of Karen Khachanov and in-form players Brandon Nakashima and Jordan Thompson.
WTA: Chinese tennis makes a statement in singles and doubles. Following her historic Olympic Gold for China this summer, Qinwen Zheng played herself into the form of her life, with multiple top 20 wins on her way to the finals of the WTA 1000 in Wuhan and the 500 title in Tokyo. In doubles, specialists like Yue Yuan, Shuai Zhang, and Hanyu Guo all captured doubles titles, at the 500 and 250 levels, respectively. Across the board, Chinese women’s tennis has seen a surge with increased prominence in the top 200 for both singles and doubles.
November:
ATP: Adios, Rafa. In fitting fashion, Rafael Nadal says goodbye to tennis at the professional level in his home country representing Spain alongside his countrymen, fronted by Carlos Alcaraz and captained by David Ferrer. Read our career retrospective piece here.
WTA: In perhaps the tournament of her life, Coco Gauff silenced her doubters with a commanding run to the title at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Her defeat of Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, and Zheng emphatically cemented her top 10 presence as beyond deserving. When Coco is this on, it’s tough to do anything against her relentless defense and offense.
