Tennis News

Best ATP Tour comebacks of 2024: Tiafoe, Thompson top the tally

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual ‘Best Of’ series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more.

From saving match points, overcoming the brink of defeat to eventually lifting the trophy, or a narrow escape in a high-stakes match, today we highlight the five best comebacks from ATP Tour tournaments in 2024.

5) Dubai R2, Lehecka d. Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4
Czechia’s Jiri Lehecka produced fearless hitting in pressure moments to save five match points in Dubai and down fourth seed Karen Khachanov, who had captured the Doha title the week prior and was on a five-match winning streak.

All of Khachanov’s match points came on Lehecka’s serve late in the second set, but the 23-year-old relied on his booming forehand to pull him out of near defeat at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In the decider, Khachanov seemingly recovered from his blip, gaining a 4-2 lead before Lehecka tallied four consecutive games to seal the match. Lehecka fell to his knees in relief and celebration.

4) Shanghai R3, Paul d. Tabilo 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-2
All signs pointed towards a routine, straight-sets win for Alejandro Tabilo when he led American Tommy Paul 7-6(2), 5-1 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 27-year-old then held five match points on his serve at 5-2 in the second set when suddenly things began to change.

On Tabilo’s fifth match point, he put pressure on Paul by closing the net, but the American hit a perfect cross-court backhand passing shot to stay alive, kick-starting his comeback victory. Paul reeled off 12 of the final 15 games to secure a hard-fought win.

3) Hong Kong R1, Struff d. Cilic 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7)
On the second day of the year, Jan-Lennard Struff strung together a memorable comeback that stood the test of time to finish as one of this season’s most impressive comebacks. The 34-year-old, who was voted ATP Comeback Player of the Year by his peers in 2023, lived up to that title with an incredible escape at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Struff saved a whopping nine match points to escape 2014 US Open champion Cilic in a three-hour, six-minute clash between two of the heaviest hitters in the game. The German’s inspired performance is tied for second-most match points saved in a tour-level win since 2015.

“I just told myself, ‘Let’s go’, to keep fighting, to never quit,” Struff said. “You have to give yourself the chance to fight back. It won’t be given to you and that’s why it’s such a great sport.”

Most Match Points Saved In An ATP Tour Win Since 2015:

2) Cincinnati SFs, Tiafoe d. Rune 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)
Home favourite Frances Tiafoe rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the third set against Holger Rune at the Cincinnati Open, where he was millimetres from losing the back-and-forth semi-final battle.

Tiafoe saved the first of two consecutive Rune match points at 4-5 in the deciding set with a forehand that slightly clipped the top of the net, before the ball popped over to stave off the American’s elimination. It drew gasps from the crowd as the ball seemingly floated in the air for minutes, but it was a half-second freeze in a thrilling clash.

Tiafoe held his nerve, forging a dramatic comeback to become the first American to reach the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 final since John Isner in 2013.

“That last set was nuts,” Tiafoe said. “I got really lucky there. I had a couple net cords, but I also battled. I competed really hard and put myself in position.”

1) Los Cabos QFs, Thompson d. Michelsen 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-5
Australian Jordan Thompson will not soon forget his maiden tour-level title run at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, where he was on the brink of an emphatic defeat in the quarter-finals against Alex Michelsen.

The #NextGenATP American Michelsen won the first nine games of the match and could taste the finish line in Los Cabos, where he led 6-0, 4-1 and held two break points. Later, Thompson fended off three match points in that same set, before again finding himself in a hole trailing 3-5 in the decider. Thompson rose to the occasion once more, claiming four consecutive games in epic fashion.

“That’s probably one of the best comebacks I’ve ever had in my life, and [it was] in a quarter-final of a Tour event,” said Thompson, who in August became the fourth player this century to crack the Top 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time aged 30 or older. “I was saying to myself that I literally haven’t been in front until 6-5 in the third set. So a long time being behind.”

Thompson’s memorable week did not stop there. In his next match, he converted his seventh match point to seal his upset against top seed Alexander Zverev after three hours and 40 minutes. Thompson eventually was crowned champion — defeating Casper Ruud in the final — not only in singles, but also in doubles with Max Purcell, with whom he later qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I don’t think anyone would challenge my competitiveness,” said Thompson.

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Are there 'different approaches' to tennis doping cases?

Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, Simona Halep and Tara Moore have had very different experiences after testing positive for a banned substance – BBC Sport looks at why.

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Innovations, Rules Revealed For 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF

The seventh edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF is set to commence later this month, when the Top eight 20-and-under players in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah face off in Saudi Arabia.

The ATP on Wednesday announced the innovations and rules for the 2024 event, to be held from 18-22 December.

The tournament, created to spotlight tennis’ rising talents, continues to evolve. Several of this year’s innovations and rules are designed to enhance the flow of the game, including reduced warm up, no let rule, while other innovations include free fan movement and in-game Tennis IQ match date analytics for coaches courtside.

Look for the following in Jeddah in 2024:

SCORING:
– First-to-4, Best-of-5 set scoring: Each match shall be the best of 5 tie-break sets. Each set shall be first to 4 games with a margin of 2 games and a tie-break (first to 7 points with a margin of 2) played at 3-3. Each game shall be played using the No-Ad scoring format with the Server choosing the service box.

CHANGEOVERS:
– There will be no change of ends after the first game.
– Players will change ends and sit down for 90 seconds after the first three games are played, once more if the set score reaches 3:2 (i.e., after two more games in the set), and then again at the end of the set (regardless of the final set score).
– Players will change ends after every six points in the tie-break.
– Players will sit down at the end of the set for 90 seconds, reduced from 120 seconds.

RULES INITIATIVES:
– Warm-up: Players will warm up for 3 minutes on court.
– Ball change: After every 7 games.
– Serve Shot Clock: Up to 8 seconds will be permitted between first and second serve. A shot clock will display the time elapsed between the first and second serve.
– Time between Points: Continuing with the 2023 initiative, the time between points will be reduced from 25 seconds to 15 seconds if a point is below three shots (e.g., 2 shots = 15 seconds; 3 shots = 25 seconds).
– No Let Rule: Play continues even if the ball touches the net during a serve, provided it lands in the correct service box.
– Free Fan Movement: Free movement will be allowed in the stadium for the first three games of the match. After the first free games, fans will be allowed to move freely except for limited areas behind the baseline in direct player view.
– Movement by a spectator(s) in the designated free movement areas shall not constitute a legitimate pause in the shot clock.
Umpire Chair: Lower umpire chair to reduce the visual obstruction for fans in the arena.

INNOVATION INITIATIVES:
– Scoreboards: Simplified scoring graphics for improved fan consumption will be visualised in the arena to educate younger audiences that attend the event.

PLAYER PERFORMANCE INITIATIVES:
– Wearables: Players will be able to wear wearable devices in matches. The wearable data will be summarised and visualised so that players can gain a comprehensive overview of their physical performance and stress responses in matches.
– In-Match analytics: The Tennis IQ match data platform will be available to coaches sitting courtside, and video footage tagged with the match data will be available post-match. New insights will also be visualised in the arena.

View full rules here.

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Djokovic to begin bid for 25th Grand Slam in Brisbane

Novak Djokovic will play at the Brisbane International this month before he starts his bid for a 25th Grand Slam at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

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Bellucci: ‘Learning is not a straight line’

Mattia Bellucci lights up the court with infectious energy and a fierce competitive drive. The 23-year-old lefty plays with bold intensity, swings for the fences and shows a range of emotions.

The kind-spirited Italian is an entertaining player to watch and this season, he continued his rise by winning his first major main-draw match at the US Open against former champion Stan Wawrinka and reaching his maiden tour-level quarter-final in Atlanta. Bellucci ascended to a career-high No. 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings last month and finished the season at No. 103.

There were highs, like that Court 17 win against Wawrinka in front of a packed New York crowd, and there were obstacles, including when Bellucci let slip two championship points in a nearly three-hour Cary Challenger title match. Through it all, Bellucci is embracing the lessons learned along the way.

“Learning is not a straight line and [I need] to give myself time,” Bellucci told the ATP Challenger Tour media team. “When you put the right energy and you really look for something new during practice and try to copy what you’re going to do in the matches, that’s when the results come. Try to improvise.”

A three-time ATP Challenger Tour champion, Bellucci advanced through qualifying at three consecutive majors this year: Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. Bellucci drew a difficult first-round opponent at each tournament. He showed a high level when he pushed Frances Tiafoe to five sets at Roland Garros and did the same at Wimbledon against 14th seed Ben Shelton.

Then, Bellucci’s breakthrough victory came at Flushing Meadows. With the crowd heavily supporting 2016 champion Wawrinka, Bellucci rose to the occasion and earned a memorable win.

“It was definitely the highlight,” Bellucci said. “It was very nice. From the beginning of the match, I felt quite relaxed even though I was playing Stan in a big stadium.

“From playing Tiafoe at Roland Garros to playing Shelton at Wimbledon, I felt like the level was coming and that I was doing the right things during practice. Going on court with the right behavior and fighting for every point was the key.”

What else helped Bellucci post some key wins and improve in 2024? The Italian did not let the win-loss column define his success. He shifted his focus to the process, believing that consistency and effort would lead to growth.

“Focusing on the results is not bringing the results, to me at least,” Bellucci said. “Focus on the performance and what you have to do, not what the result of the match is.”

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Djokovic to begin his 2025 season in Brisbane

Novak Djokovic is set to return to action in the first week of the 2025 season at the Brisbane International presented by Evie.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and 99-time tour-level titlist will aim to kick-start his season when he lines up in the field at the hard-court tournament for just the second time. Djokovic fell to Ernests Gulbis on his only previous appearance at the ATP 250 in Queensland in 2009.

Djokovic, whose only title in 2024 came at the Paris Olympics, will chase the 100th tour-level trophy of his career in Brisbane. The 37-year-old is trying to join Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the only ATP stars to hit that milestone.

A record 10-time Australian Open champion, Djokovic has not competed since he fell to Jannik Sinner in the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship match on 13 October. Currently the World No. 7, the Serbian will lead a field that also includes his fellow Top 10 star and 2023 Brisbane champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Last year’s finalist Holger Rune and Frances Tiafoe will also compete, while home favourite Nick Kyrgios is set to make his long-awaited return to competitive action. It will be the 29-year-old Kyrgios’ first ATP Tour appearance since June 2023 due to injury.

Defending Champion Rublev Leads Hong Kong Field
World No. 8 Andrey Rublev will defend his title at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. Chinese stars Shang Juncheng and Buyunchaokete are also on the entry list in Hong Kong, where home hopes will be lead by Coleman Wong.

Hong Kong played a significant rise in Shang’s 2024 rise up the PIF ATP Rankings: He reached his maiden ATP Tour semi-final at the event, before going onto lift his maiden tour-level title in Chengdu. The 19-year-old finished the year as the World No. 50 and he will compete in the upcoming Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah.

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Five coaches nominated for 2024 Coach of the Year

Before champions are crowned in front of packed stadiums on the ATP Tour, they are made on the practice court under the watchful eye of their coaches. These coaches often work in the background, happy to leave the glory to their players. In the 2024 ATP Awards, our five Coach of the Year nominees step into the spotlight.

This year’s nominees are Xavier Malisse (coach of Alexei Popyrin), Emmanuel Planque (Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard), Michael Russell (Taylor Fritz), Brad Stine (Tommy Paul) and James Trotman (Jack Draper). The nominees and winner in this category are voted on by fellow coaches.

ATP Awards winners will be announced during Awards Week, starting Monday, 9 December.

Xavier Malisse (Alexei Popyrin)
As part of Popyrin’s coaching team alongside Neville Godwin, Malisse — a former Top 20 player in the PIF ATP Rankings — has helped the Aussie climb to the cusp of that elite group this season. Under the tutelage of Malisse and Godwin, a former Top 100 player himself, Popyrin won the biggest title of his career at the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 and entered the Top 25 for the first time.

“Neville and I worked a lot on the backhand. We’ve been working on more variety, slicing a little bit, and then working with the serve,” said Malisse, who also credited fitness coach Evan Jenkins and physiotherapist Valentin Hollier for improving Popyrin’s strength.

Malisse and Godwin also emphasised patience with Popyrin, encouraging him to work the points more and attack at the right moment.

Malisse’s coaching style in his own words: “Neville and I are a little bit different. When we are at the match, Neville might be a bit more intense sometimes, talking to Alexei. I stay more very relaxed, try to keep emotions in check, which is not always easy. But I like to say little things at the right time. I think coaching is knowing when to say something.”

Emmanuel Planque (Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard)
Planque guided the 21-year-old Mpetshi Perricard to a breakout season, with the Frenchman winning his first two ATP Tour titles (Lyon, Basel) and breaking into the Top 30 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time.

“Giovanni had an excellent 2024 season, managing to improve his way of playing week after week,” said Planque, pointing to the four tournaments (including three on the ATP Challenger Tour) Perricard won from February to May. “He is starting to become familiar with high-level matches. The end of the season sent us this message by winning in Basel. However, we are aware that we still have a lot of work to do to one day be among the best players.”

Mpetshi Perricard was also nominated for a 2024 ATP Award, in the Most Improved Player category.

Planque’s coaching style in his own words: “It’s never really easy to define your way of working. Certainly, I am demanding and I strongly believe in work values but in fact, I simply hope to be a human, fair, and respectful coach of the athletes with whom I work.”

Coach of the Year 😎 #ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/fElcl0XNFH

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 25, 2024

Michael Russell (Taylor Fritz)
Russell helped Fritz reach his first Grand Slam final at the US Open as well as his first title match at the Nitto ATP Finals. After posting a 17-4 record at the Grand Slams, more than doubling his previous high for major wins in a year, the American finished the season at a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 4.

Asked where he made the biggest impact on Fritz’s game this season, Russell’s response was indicative of his holistic approach to coaching: “I think there is some impact in all parts of his game to continuing to be physically stronger and more explosive on and off the court, to being more comfortable finishing points at the net as well as having more confidence in pressure situations and stages.”

Russell’s coaching style in his own words: “My coaching style would be a mix of holistic, democratic, and autocratic. You have to have open communication and be empathetic while still creating structure and accountability. Taylor and I have a very good synergistic relationship.”

Brad Stine (Tommy Paul)
Stine helped Paul win three titles this season (Dallas, Queen’s Club, Stockholm) after the American entered 2024 with just one ATP Tour trophy to his name. Those three winning weeks, plus a final run in Delray Beach, led Paul to finish the year at a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 12.

Stine feels his biggest impact on Paul this season was on the mental side of the game, particularly his “commitment to his identity as a player and his mental toughness”.

Stine’s coaching style in his own words: “Collaborative.”


James Trotman (Jack Draper)
Trotman was in Draper’s corner for the Briton’s breakout season, which included his first two tour-level titles in Stuttgart and Vienna. Set to turn 23 on 22 December, Draper will finish the year at a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 15.

“I think the biggest area I helped Jack with his tennis this season was to play more aggressively, especially in the bigger moments in matches,” Trotman said of his season alongside the British No. 1. “A mentality in those situations to play to win.”

Draper was also nominated for a 2024 ATP Award, in the Most Improved Player category.

Trotman’s coaching style in his own words: “My coaching style would be very much around sticking to a plan and not being too reactive, given the nature of the Tour with its ups and downs. Try to identify those areas of development and be consistent with the work to make those improvements over time.”

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Farewell Neale Fraser, 3-time major champion & Australian Davis Cup hero

Neale Fraser, an estimable Australian left-hander who owned one of the craftiest serves in tennis during his prime years in the late 1950’s and early sixties, securing no fewer than 19 major championships altogether in singles, doubles and mixed doubles between 1956 and 1962 despite frequently living in the shadows of countrymen including Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Ashley Cooper and Mal Anderson, and establishing himself as an outstanding Davis Cup player and captain—died on 2 December, 2024. He was 91.

Exploiting his versatile serve to the hilt and turning it into the cornerstone of his game, Fraser was a formidable player who thrived in an era when three of the four majors were held on grass. Fraser’s southpaw mastery of spins on serve set him apart in his time and made him especially formidable on grass courts. His serve was deceptive and often unstoppable. He could release it flat into the corners, carve it with slice out wide or stifle right-handed opponents with his devilish deuce court kick serve to the forehand.

Fraser was a tried and true serve-and-volleyer, backing up his excellent delivery with soundness on the volley, attacking relentlessly, smothering opponents with his capacity to come forward at all the right times. He was a product of his era on fast courts, unrelentingly aggressive as a match player, weighing the percentages assiduously to give himself the best possible chance to succeed.

The ITHF remembers Hall of Famer Neale Fraser, one of Australia’s legends.

A 19-time major champion and stalwart in Davis Cup as a player and captain, Fraser reached the game’s peak and mentored a generation of Aussies.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends today.

— International Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) December 3, 2024

Neale Andrew Fraser was born on 3 October, 1933 in Melbourne where he grew up and lived as an adult, starting to play tennis at the age of eleven on a neighbour’s court with his brother John, a physician later in life and a decent player in his own right who once made the semi-finals of Wimbledon in doubles alongside Rod Laver. The son of a lawyer who became a judge, Neale Fraser won his first tournament — a 13-and-under event — at 12. At 17 he won the Australian National Junior Championships. By 1954, when he turned 21, Fraser was included on the Australian overseas team, touring with the likes of Hoad and Rosewall under the tutelage of the revered coach and Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, making crucial strides in that period.

Ranked among the Top 10 in the world every year from 1956-62 by most leading authorities, rising to No. 1 twice at the start of the sixties, Fraser was prominent in an era when all of the top players were expected to enter the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events at the sport’s showcase tournaments.

Hence his achievement in sweeping all three events at the 1959 and 1960 U.S. Championships was among his highest honors. In 1959, he defeated the charismatic Peruvian Alex Olmedo in the singles final, joined Emerson to topple Olmedo and the American Butch Buchholz in the doubles final, and secured the mixed doubles crown with Margaret Osborne duPont of the U.S. over the American Janet Hopps and the Australian Bob Mark.

A year later, he replicated that feat, claiming the singles title in straight sets over Laver, and defending his men’s and mixed doubles titles with Emerson and Osborne duPont. That was no mean feat against staunch opposition. Fraser demonstrated that he was the tennis player’s tennis player by virtue of those successes, putting forth the same inexhaustible effort into his doubles pursuits as he did on his own in singles.

He reaffirmed that fact by excelling in Davis Cup competition for his country, winning 18 of 21 matches in singles and doubles combined, losing only once in singles, playing a central role in leading Australia to four consecutive Davis Cup triumphs from 1959-62. The first of those triumphs featured Fraser in full flight. In the Challenge Round against the United States at Forest Hills, Fraser stopped Alex Olmedo in four sets on opening day, teamed with Roy Emerson to win the doubles over Olmedo and Butch Buchholz, and sealed victory for his nation in the fifth and final match by ousting Barry MacKay in four sets. That was an extraordinary three-day feat and a singular achievement for the industrious Fraser.

Only three of his 19 majors were secured in singles, but they represented his proudest moments as a player. The groundbreaking singles triumph was in 1959 at Forest Hills when he was 26. But perhaps his victory at Wimbledon the following year was even more psychically rewarding.

On that occasion in 1960, he took on Laver, a dazzling shotmaker who would win two Grand Slams over the course of that decade. Never before had two left-handers clashed in a title round meeting on those hallowed grounds. Fraser, who reached match point at the start of that season before losing a classic Australian Championships final with Laver in five sets, overcame his gifted countryman and rival by playing a better brand of sustained percentage tennis when they dueled again in Great Britain, succeeding 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5. In many ways, it was his finest hour in a storied career.

But Fraser was somewhat fortunate to even be in the final. Confronting Buchholz in the quarter-finals, Fraser saved five match points and barely survived. Buchholz retired with cramps when Fraser trailed two sets to one and the game score was locked at 15-15 in the fourth set. Thus Fraser established himself as one of only nine men in Wimbledon history to take the singles title after being down at least one match point during the course of the tournament. He returned to Forest Hills later in that summer of 1960 and retained his title commandingly, coming through without losing a set in seven matches, moving past Laver with sweeping efficiency 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 in the final.

That was a defining moment for Fraser, who was inducted at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984. It was arguably the best tennis he ever played on an auspicious occasion. He retired in 1963 but remained in the forefront of tennis for decades to come. Always a cagey student of the game and an outstanding teacher as well, he took over from Hopman as Davis Cup captain in 1970 and remained in that post for 23 years. Four times in that span, the Australians were victorious, taking the coveted Cup in 1973, 1977, 1983 and 1986. Fraser provided valuable council to Laver and John Newcombe in the first of those triumphs and advised Pat Cash in the latter. His 1983 squad was strikingly inexperienced, but Fraser brought out the best in his contingent. Never was there a generation gap when Neale Fraser was interacting with those players. He commanded respect as a strict disciplinarian who proved his equanimity and empathy with a wide range of players.

Fraser is survived by his wife Thea, brother John, children, grandchildren and many family members.

Story reproduced with permission from International Tennis Hall of Fame.

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Tsitsipas & Serena go live: 'You aced me!'

When you have the opportunity to chat with Serena Williams, you don’t pass up on it. Just ask Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Greek No. 11 in the PIF ATP Rankings couldn’t resist making a surprise appearance on Williams’ Instagram Live on Monday, when the two shared a heartfelt exchange. Tsitsipas asked the 23-time Grand Slam titlist: “If you had to pick one, what would be your favourite moment from your entire career?”

“I think winning Australia pregnant,” responded Williams. “I was nine weeks pregnant when it was done! I was almost done with the first trimester…”

Williams, one of the most iconic figures in the sport of tennis, is no stranger to Tsitsipas. Over the course of the American’s 10-year collaboration with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, during which she won 10 majors and an Olympic gold medal, Tsitsipas established himself as a regular at Mouratoglou’s academy. 

They would occasionally practise together with coach Mouratoglou and even battled it out in a Hopman Cup match in 2018.

“You aced me! I will never forget that,” Tsitsipas said.

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Van de Zandschulp, Cazaux shocks among biggest Grand Slam upsets of 2024

Ousting a top player is one thing, but doing it in a five-set match is something else.

There were plenty of surprise results at Grand Slam events in 2024, when a host of players notched statement wins on some of the biggest stages in tennis.

As part of our annual season-in-review series, ATPTour.com counts down the five most unexpected upsets of the year at the majors. Check out our biggest ATP Tour upsets of 2024 here.

5) Wimbledon R1: Mpetshi Perricard d. Korda 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-3
Sebastian Korda’s red-hot mid-year form suffered a surprise blip when faced with a big-serving barrage from Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

The 20th-seeded Korda arrived at Wimbledon fresh from a final run in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and a semi-final appearance at Queen’s Club, but a powerful display from SW19 debutant Mpetshi Perricard ended the American’s grass-court season. The 20-year-old lucky loser, who began 2024 outside the Top 200 but was competing against Korda as the World No. 58, fired 51 aces on Court 16 to notch a statement triumph.

The quality of Mpetshi Perricard’s first main-draw win at a major was only underlined further when Korda lifted his maiden ATP 500 title at his very next event, the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, before reaching his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in Montreal.

In contrast, Mpetshi Perricard struggled to immediately back up his run at Wimbledon, where he went on to reach the fourth round. The Frenchman won just two matches across eight tournaments after the grass-court major, but he then bounced back spectacularly by charging to an ATP 500 crown of his own in Basel. Mpetshi Perricard finished the 2024 season at No. 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

4) US Open R3: Popyrin d Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Alexei Popyrin had three attempts at upsetting record-24-time major champion Novak Djokovic on the Grand Slam stage in 2024. After falling to the Serbian in four sets at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Popyrin unleashed his brand of ‘big-man tennis’ to spectacular effect to sink Djokovic in the third round at the US Open.

Popyrin, playing with confidence after winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Montreal earlier in August, hit 50 winners past the World No. 2 Djokovic. With plenty of power in his game on serve and off the ground, Popyrin causing his illustrious opponent problems may not have come as a huge surprise. Yet the key to the biggest win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking was the consistency he found across the three sets he won.

“Third time lucky [this year] I guess,” said Popyrin, who went on to push eventual finalist Taylor Fritz to four sets in the fourth round. “Honestly, we had some battles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. I had my chances in those matches, but didn’t take them. This match was a little different. I was able to take my chances when I had them and played some good tennis.”

<img alt=”Alexei Popyrin” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/31/03/40/popyrin-us-open-2024-friday-roar.jpg” />

_{^{Alexei Popyrin celebrates after upsetting Novak Djokovic in the third round at the US Open. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images}}

3) Wimbledon R1: Comesana d Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5)
Francisco Comesana gave a lesson in getting to grips quickly with grass in July at Wimbledon.

The Argentine arrived in the United Kingdom in June having never played a match on the surface at any level, neither as a professional nor as a junior. He lost his first outing on the lawns of Eastbourne in an ATP 250 qualifying match, before being presented with the task of taking on Andrey Rublev, the World No. 6 and 2023 Wimbledon quarter-finalist, in his opening round at SW19.

Despite his almost complete lack of grass-court experience, the World No. 122 Comesana rose to the occasion in style to stun Rublev with memorable four-set victory. It was the first tour-level win of the 23-year-old’s career, one he backed up by beating Adam Walton in the second round before falling to eventual semi-finalist Lorenzo Musetti.

“My family is in Argentina now and I have spoken with them and my girlfriend, who is very excited,” Comesana told ATPTour.com after defeating Rublev. “My phone will break with all the messages I am receiving! It is amazing. I just enjoyed every moment of the match. I tried to enjoy the occasion, the crowd. It was my first time playing on a court that big. I am enjoying this moment, and I am enjoying playing on grass. I am very happy.”

<img alt=”Francisco Comesana” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/03/11/36/comesana-wimbledon-2024-feature.jpg” />

_{^{Francisco Comesana celebrates his win against Andrey Rublev. Photo Credit: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images}}

2) Australian Open R2: Cazaux d Rune 7-6(4), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Sometimes the journey is more significant than the end result.

Arthur Cazaux’s upset of eighth seed Holger Rune in the Australian Open second round was certainly a shock: The 21-year-old Frenchman, competing as a wild card, was chasing just his third tour-level win. Yet it was the way that Cazaux dismantled Rune inside Margaret Court Arena that particularly caught the eye.

The World No. 122 combined clean baseline hitting and crafty slice play with some scintillating court coverage to overwhelm Rune and complete the biggest win of his career. After sealing victory with a classy backhand pass, it didn’t take long for the enraptured crowd to learn just how highly Cazaux valued his role as an entertainer.

“It’s a show. The tennis is a show,” said Cazaux when asked about his game style in his on-court interview, before turning to the crowd. “I gave all I have in me, and I hope you enjoyed the show. We have the best crowd in France, but the Aussie crowd is crazy.”

Giant slayer ⚔️

On his @AustralianOpen debut, Arthur Cazaux knocks out No. 8 seed Holger Rune to advance to the third round.#AusOpenpic.twitter.com/2Osj5q17ID

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 18, 2024

1) US Open R2: Van de Zandschulp d Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5, 6-4
A tough 2024 for Botic van de Zandschulp sparked into life in spectacular fashion on a memorable Thursday night at the US Open.

The Dutchman entered the hard-court major with an 11-18 tour-level record for the season. After defeating Denis Shapovalov in the first round in New York, Van de Zandschulp stepped on court for his second-round clash with World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz aiming to win back-to-back tour-level matches for the first time in over nine months.

Yet Van de Zandschulp appeared to have little trouble putting his struggles for wins behind him inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he produced a rock-solid display full of expertly controlled aggression from the baseline. Alcaraz had not lost a set in his two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes with Van de Zandschulp, but the Spaniard had no answer to the way his opponent disrupted his rhythm throughout the encounter.

“I’m a little bit lost for words. It’s been an incredible evening, the first night session for me on Arthur Ashe. The crowd was amazing,” said Van de Zandschulp, whose straight-sets win was the biggest of his career by PIF ATP Ranking. “I got a lot of confidence from my last match [against Shapovalov]. I played really solid and from point one tonight, I believed I could have a chance, and you see how it sometimes turns out.”

<img alt=”Carlos Alcaraz/Botic van de Zandschulp” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/03/01/08/alcaraz-van-de-zandschulp-us-open-2024-handshake.jpg” />

_{^{Carlos Alcaraz congratulates Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open. Photo Credit: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images}}

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