Review of the 2024 ATP season: Jannik Sinner shines, Carlos Alcaraz makes a double, Novak Djokovic wins gold

It was another memorable season on the ATP Tour.

There were two winners of the four Grand Slam titles, a new world number 1, a new Masters 1000 champion and three big name retirements.

As the calendar counts down to the new year and the Australian Open fast approaching, we look back at 10 of the notable moments of the 2024 ATP tennis season.

After an impressive end to 2023, Jannik Sinner started the new year as one of the leading contenders for Grand Slam titles – and it didn’t take long for him to break his duck.

He was superb at the Australian Open, ending Novak Djokovic’s long winning streak in Melbourne in the semi-final, then winning the hard way against Daniil Medvedev in the final, coming from two sets down to triumph .

“I’m extremely happy with the way I handled things today,” Sinner said afterward.

“I was struggling a little bit today with two sets to play and a little over an hour, so I just tried to stay positive.”

Winning the Australian Open was just the beginning of Sinner’s hard-court dominance in 2024.

He won six other hard-court titles, including the US Open and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

In doing so, he became the third player in history to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same season, joining Roger Federer (2004, 2006 and 2007) and Novak Djokovic (2015 and 2023).

He also helped Italy defend their Davis Cup title by defeating the Netherlands.

Sinner’s only losses on hard court this season were against Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final and the semifinals at Indian Wells, and against Andrey Rublev in the Montreal quarterfinals. He did not lose a match in straight sets during the season, becoming only the second man to do so in the Open era after Roger Federer.

It is impossible not to talk about Sinner’s season without mentioning his doping record.

Sinner provided a sample to Indian Wells in March that contained low levels of clostebol, while another sample eight days later also contained that substance.

He was cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and requested a possible ban.

With just one title and no Grand Slam wins, Novak Djokovic has admitted that 2024 has been one of his “worst seasons”.

But given the importance of this title, this was probably a season he would have signed up for in advance.

Djokovic has long desired an Olympic gold medal and, as his career draws to a close, Paris was likely his last attempt.

He beat Rafael Nadal in their last meeting in the second round, then beat the next great Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, in a brilliant final to win gold.

Seeing Djokovic’s hands shake with emotion as he knelt on the French Open court showed how much this meant to him.

Djokovic’s triumph was just one of many memorable moments from the Paris Olympics.

The final career meeting between Djokovic and Nadal didn’t live up to the hype, but it was a special occasion and it was fitting for Nadal that it took place at the French Open.

Nadal and Alcaraz were also delighted in doubles with their run to the quarter-finals, while Andy Murray delayed his retirement by winning a roller coaster of matches.

Murray and Dan Evans saved five points in their first doubles match, then two in the next before finally falling in the quarters.

Nadal also had the honor of carrying the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony.

Who made Alexei Popyrin the first Masters winner in 2024?

The Australian was the only Masters champion for the first time this season as he won the title in impressive fashion in Montreal.

Popyrin scored five top-20 victories en route to the improbable triumph, including beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the final.

“It means everyone, for all the hard work I’ve put in over the years, all the sacrifices I’ve made,” said Popyrin, who became the first Australian to win a Masters title since Lleyton Hewitt won Indian Wells in 2003.

It was a year for retirements on the ATP Tour.

The first to withdraw was Andy Murray, bidding farewell after partnering Dan Evans in the men’s doubles quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics.

Murray memorably retired after a dramatic week in which he and Evans saved multiple match points in successive matches.

A few months after Murray’s departure, Rafael Nadal also ended his tennis career.

The king of clay said goodbye in an emotional farewell at the Davis Cup final in Malaga. Nadal lost the opening singles match as Spain was beaten 2-1 by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

“I’m not tired of playing tennis, but it’s my body that doesn’t want to play anymore, so I have to accept the situation,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Dominic Thiem has also retired.

Thiem said it “hurt” to walk away from the game at just 31, but a wrist injury derailed his career after he made his Grand Slam breakthrough at the 2020 US Open.

His last match saw him beaten in the first round of the Vienna Open.

Carlos Alcaraz, 21, became the youngest player in the Open era to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

He did this despite not playing for a month before the French Open due to injury and having to come from behind to beat Alexander Zverev in a five-set final.

With Nadal retired and Djokovic likely nearing the end of his career, Alcaraz could to be the man to beat at Roland Garros for years to come.

At Wimbledon, Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the final for the second year in a row.

This time it was simpler than the five-set battle of 2023 as Alcaraz won in three sets to claim the fourth major of his career.

“Honestly, it’s a dream for me to win this trophy,” Alcaraz said. “I did an interview when I was 11 and I said my dream was to win Wimbledon.”

As Alcaraz steps up to replace Nadal, Jack Draper has shown he could be the one to take over in Murray’s absence as Britain’s new leader.

Draper made his Grand Slam breakthrough at the US Open where his big serves and powerful shots propelled him to the semi-finals.

He followed that up with the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500 Vienna Open, beating Karen Khachanov in the final.

Draper finishes the year ranked 15th in the world rankings and has the potential to climb higher.

Six months after retiring, Andy is back on the ATP Tour – but as coach of one of his biggest rivals.

Murray’s partnership with Djokovic is one of the most surprising and fascinating coaching connections in recent memory.

Djokovic said his call caught Murray “a little bit off guard”, but they “connected really quickly” and he accepted the job after a few days.

The two men are expected to work together at the Australian Open, where Djokovic will attempt to win a record 25th Grand Slam title.