Tennis in 2024: A sneak peek into what lies ahead

Asked about the reason for Djokovic’s exceptional performance last year at 36, India’s former Davis Cup finalist Ramesh Krishnan said: “He has kept himself very fit. It also helps that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were not around. The pandemic had given him a bit of a break. And also the slams he missed during the pandemic. There was some unused energy.”

The talking point will be whether Carlos Alcaraz will end Djokovic’s domination and herald a new era. Alcaraz showed Djokovic can be outwitted, outlasting him in an epic Wimbledon final in 2023. The 20-year-old came back from a set down to pull off a remarkable victory with his speed, athleticism and poise. By winning his second Grand Slam title last year, Alcaraz validated the fact that he is the next big thing in tennis. Can the Spaniard end the Serb’s domination in 2024? “He seems to be the best among the GenNext. Hopefully, he keeps progressing,” Krishnan added.

After being sidelined for 11 months while undergoing hip surgery, Nadal performed well in his first tournament of the new season, winning two matches at Brisbane International. Unfortunately, Nadal got injured again during his loss to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals, resulting in his withdrawal from this year's first Major. It remains to be seen whether he can recover from his injury and go for his 15th French Open title.

Daniil Medvedev, who denied Djokovic a calendar Grand Slam at the US Open in 2021, showed last year he is still one of the contenders at the Majors. After blowing away Alcaraz in the semifinals, Medvedev fell short in the final at the Big Apple. Having lost four Slam finals, Medvedev will be hoping to win his second Slam this year.

Janik Sinner was another player to make rapid strides last year. Sinner inspired Italy to Davis Cup victory after 46 years. Sinner also won four Tour titles. Having already reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, it remains to be seen whether he can go all the way in a Slam.

Djokovic (24), Nadal (22) and Federer (20), combined together, have won 66 Slam titles in 20 years, which will be near-impossible to emulate. Why is Djokovic dubbed by the tennis experts as the GOAT? The insatiable quest for excellence, incredible work ethic, gluten diet, and maniacal desire to rewrite record books are what make the Serb the hardest player to beat on the Tour. His breakthrough year came in 2011 when he emerged from the shadows of Federer and Nadal to capture three Slams (Australian Open, Wimbledon & US Open).

In women’s tennis, Iga Swiatek edged Aryna Sabalenka for the year-end No 1 spot in the previous year, winning the WTA Finals. Swiatek won her third French Open title, while Sabalenka bagged her maiden Grand Slam crown, triumphing in the Australian Open. The 19-year-old Coco Gauff fulfilled her childhood dream, capturing the US Open. The battle for the top spot between Swiatek, Sabalenka and Gauff this year promises a riveting spectacle.

Bopanna keeps Indian flag flying

For Indian tennis, Rohan Bopanna continued to be the torchbearer, reaching the US Open doubles final in 2023, along with his doubles partner Matthew Ebden. Winning the Indian Wells Masters, and reaching the doubles semifinals of ATP Tour Finals with the Australian, were the other highlights of Bopanna’s successful season.

Bopanna is getting better with age, which is a rarity in the physically gruelling tennis circuit. His performance in 2023 was one of the positives for Indian tennis. The 43-year-old is currently ranked No 3 (in doubles) in the world. Teaming up with Ebden worked well for Bopanna. The Indo-Aussie pair reached three Masters finals (Rome, Shanghai and Paris), besides winning two titles (Doha and Indian Wells). Bopanna also brought joy to the country in the Hangzhou Asian Games, clinching the mixed doubles with Rutuja Bhosale. “I would rather enjoy it than try to explain it. Well done, Rohan,’’ Ramesh summed it up succinctly when queried about Bopanna’s brilliant performances in 2023.

Sumit Nagal is the highest-ranked Indian player in singles (ranked 139). He had a fruitful 2023, winning two Challenger titles. After Somdev Devvaraman’s retirement, India has not been able to produce a player of his calibre in singles. Somdev was ranked as high as 62, besides winning Asian Games gold (2010, singles and doubles) and Commonwealth Games gold (2010).

It’s looking good for Indians in doubles on the whole. Yuki Bhambri (ranked 59) is the second-highest-ranked doubles player in our country. Bhambri, who was once a top 100 singles player, shifted to doubles because of constant injuries. It has worked well for the Delhiite, as Bhambri combined with Lloyd Harris, won his first ATP doubles title (2023) in Mallorca. Sriram Balaji (ranked 79) and Saketh Myneni (ranked 97) are the other Indians in top 100 of doubles.

Sania Mirza retired from tennis last year after competing in the Dubai Open doubles. Sania broke new ground, winning three Grand Slam doubles titles with Martina Hingis (2015 Wimbledon, 2015 US Open and 2016 Australian Open). The 37-year-old took Indian women’s tennis to new heights, becoming world No 1 in doubles, besides achieving a peak ranking of 27 in singles. It will be hard to emulate Sania’s feats. Ankita Raina is the top-ranked women’s singles player in India. She is ranked world No 223. Winning a bronze (singles) in the 2018 Asian Games remains one of her best achievements.

What do you think India needs to do to produce quality (top 100) singles players? “It is not rocket science. You have to expose as much of our children to it and try to broaden the base by making it popular in the hinterland. Make competitions accessible. I think there is a lot of competition from other sports as well. It is getting that much tougher to raise funds,” Ramesh said.

Note: Indian doubles players’ tennis ranking as on January 8, 2024