It was a dramatic calendar 12 months that witnessed a tumultuous vary of feelings. From jubilation over record-scripting campaigns as the following era formally introduced their arrival on the ATP tour, to heartbreaks and tears over the exit of two extra members of the Huge 4 – Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, to controversies over doping scandals. As 2024 involves an finish, we check out the highlights of the seasons.
2024 was an eventful 12 months for tennis. Indian tennis marred by AITA controversy amid Nagal, Bopanna’s dream 12 months
Rohan Bopanna lastly ended his lengthy look forward to a males’s doubles Grand Slam title because the Indian, partnering Australia’s Matthew Ebden, gained the Australian Open trophy after defeating Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6, 7-5. It was his first doubles Main. It took him 61 makes an attempt and 19 companions to perform the feat. With the title, the 43-year-old turned the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title within the Open Period. He additionally rose to the highest of the ATP males’s doubles rankings for the primary time in his profession, thus turning into the oldest first-time world No. 1.
2024 has additionally been the 12 months of Sumit Nagal. The 27-year-old, after battling via the qualifiers, upset thirty first seed Alexander Bublik in straight units and have become the primary Indian tennis participant to defeat a seeded participant within the singles major draw of a Main since Ramesh Krishnan on the 1989 Australian Open. Though he succumbed within the second spherical in opposition to a wildcard, it was a pathbreaking marketing campaign for Nagal, who opened up on his monetary difficulties only some months again. Weeks later, Nagal lifted the Chennai Open title that noticed him break into the highest 100 for the primary time earlier than reaching a career-high rating of 68 in July after having instantly certified for the primary draw at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The milestone 12 months continued within the latter half of 2024, when the right-hander secured a spot within the US Open major draw, thus turning into the primary Indian since Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019 to compete in all 4 Slams in the identical 12 months.
Nonetheless, Nagal’s dream 12 months was marred by disputes with the All India Tennis Affiliation (AITA). Earlier within the 12 months, the Indian was denied a wildcard nomination for the Australian Open by the AITA for not collaborating within the Davis Cup tie in opposition to Pakistan. Later in September, the AITA criticised Nagal for not collaborating within the Davis Cup tie in opposition to Sweden on account of a again damage, though the latter’s title was in the primary draw for the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open. Though Nagal withdrefw from the match instantly owing to the damage, AITA additional claimed that the world no. 84 demanded an annual price of USD 50,000 to signify India in Davis Cup ties. Nagal defended himself, saying it was “standard practice” for gamers to obtain compensation for companies.
Nadal, Murray’s tearful exits
Two years after the tennis fraternity sobbed over the retirement of Roger Federer and Serena Williams, two extra legends, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, bid adieu to the game. The three-time Grand Slam winner, a logo of perseverance, concluded his profession spanning almost twenty years on the Paris Olympics, the place he went down within the quarterfinals of males’s doubles. Murray was, nevertheless, fast to maneuver on to his second innings as former rival Novak Djokovic appointed him as his new coach.
Nadal, the 22-time Slam winner, drew curtains on his profession within the Davis Cup Finals in November, the place he misplaced to Botic van de Zandschulp within the singles tie as Spain succumbed to a defeat in opposition to the Netherlands within the quarterfinals. One of many best athletes to have ever lifted the tennis racquet, chatting with an emotional Malaga crowd on his farewell, he stated: “I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one.”
Different vital goodbyes in 2024 included 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem’s, who put a heartbreaking finish to his injury-laden profession on the Vienna Open, two-time Main winner Garbine Muguruza’s, and one other former WTA world No. 1 and a silver medalist on the 2016 Rio Olympics Angelique Kerber’s.
Sinner, Alcaraz’s dominance amid Djokovic low; Sabalenka reigns in WTA circuit
For the primary time in 22 years, neither of the Huge Three – Federer, Nadal and Djokovic – didn’t win a single Slam in a calendar 12 months as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz shared the 4 Majors between themselves. The Italian, who gained eight trophies in 2024, probably the most by a male participant in a single season since Murray (9) in 2016, which included the Davis Cup trophy, took house the Australian Open and US Open, whereas the Spaniard gained the French Open and defended his Wimbledon crown.
On the ATP circuit, 2024 turned a trophyless 12 months for Djokovic, who was looking for an unprecedented twenty fifth Main. The closest he got here was on the SW19, the place he misplaced to Alcaraz as soon as once more in a rematch of the earlier 12 months’s last. Whereas damage lower brief his French Open marketing campaign, he misplaced to Sinner within the semis in Melbourne and suffered a stunning third-round exit on the US Open. This was solely the second time since 2011 and the primary since 2017 that the Serb didn’t win a significant title in a calendar 12 months.
On the WTA tour, though Iga Swiatek ended the season with probably the most titles (5), which included one Grand Slam (Roland Garros) and 4 WTA 1000 occasions, 2024 belonged to Aryna Sabalenka, who not solely defended her Australian Open title, but additionally gained the US Open title, her third profession Slam.
Paris Olympics
Regardless of the setbacks on the ATP tour, Djokovic made 2024 a 12 months to recollect, because the 37-year-old clinched his first Olympic gold medal match. The victory in opposition to Alcaraz in straight units within the last not solely noticed Djokovic turning into the oldest-ever Olympic champion in males’s singles, the Serb additionally accomplished a Profession Golden Slam, a stellar feat achieved by solely 5 gamers in historical past.
In girls’s singles, Zheng Qinwen scripted historical past by successful the gold. She defeated Donna Vekic and have become the primary Chinese language participant to attain this feat.
Doping controversies
A doping controversy marred Sinner’s profitable 2024 season. The 23-year-old examined optimistic for clostebol in March. The Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company (ITIA) introduced the case to an impartial panel, which accepted that Sinner had “no fault or negligence” and that the world No. 1 supplied a “credible” clarification and therefore was in a position to proceed enjoying. Nonetheless, the choice was challenged by the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA). The enchantment was made to the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the listening to slated to happen in 2025. WADA is searching for a ban of between one and two years.
WTA no. 2 Swiatek additionally got here underneath the scanner in November after she examined optimistic for coronary heart remedy trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition pattern in August. ITIA accepted the violation was not intentional and handed the Pole a one-month sanction that noticed her miss three tournaments in Asia and lose her prime rating.