Nadal’s last match, Djokovic wins Olympic gold in Paris, Sabalenka new world number 1, a historic French final… A look back at 11 notable images from the 2024 tennis year.
Tennis has a new boss, his name is Jannik Sinner. The 22-year-old Italian prodigy concluded in style this Sunday an exceptional season close to the best in history by offering Italy the third Davis Cup in its history. Offering himself on a personal level 9 titles including two Grand Slams: (the Australian Open, the US Open), the Masters in Turin, a first place in the ATP ranking with nearly 4000 points from his runner-up Zverev and a victory percentage of 92.4%, the Transalpine had an exceptional season.
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Among the women, if Swiatek still dominated everyone on Clay with a fourth coronation in her garden at Roland-Garros where she has 21 consecutive victories, but the Pole lost her throne as world number 1.
On October 21, 2024, without playing, her rival Aryna Sabalenka dislodged her from the top of the WTA of which she had been at the helm since November 2023. At the Ryad Masters at the end of the season, the Belarusian worked hard and got the job done to finish for the first time in his career in first place.
The end of legends
If the legends Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem ended their careers this season, the end that we will remember is that of Nadal. Deprived of a ceremony worthy of its legend, the one we nickname “The Matador” withdrew from the circuit with a final cruel defeat in the Davis Cup. Overwhelmed, the Spaniard logically lost in two sets against the Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp (6-4, 6-4) in Malaga, during the first match of the Davis Cup quarter-finals.
Juan Medina / REUTERS
If he was more discreet than usual by not offering himself any ATP title in 2024, the last survivor of the Big 3 Novak Djokovic won at 37 the only major title missing from his immense record: the gold medal at the Olympic Games. He vulgarly “game over” having won everything, enough to permanently inscribe his name in the pantheon of tennis.
PHILIP FONG / AFP
The next generation is joining the dance. With the retirement announced in 2025 of Richard Gasquet, the Musketeers are gradually dying out (Gael Monfils will soon be the only survivor), fortunately the Tricolores can now count on the new generation. Among them, the two headliners Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils finished the year in the Top 20 (14th and 20th respectively). Better yet, the two players shone in important tournaments, winning a total of 3 ATP 500s (Dubai for Humbert, Hamburg and Tokyo for Son). In Tokyo, the two compatriots found themselves face to face in the final for the second 100% French confrontation in history at this stage of the competition in a competition of this caliber.
