After the first set, it looked like Novak Djokovic might retire, as Carlos Alcaraz was on fire, and his upper left leg was super sore. 

However, he taped it again, and then in the second set he gradually began to play so much better. He snapped it in the second set, and then eventually the amazing player Djokovic, won it, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. 

The Spaniard kept trying to break him down, but Djokovic kept churning, deep and close on the lines, with his hard forehand and his backhand. He also nailed his first serve and mixed it up with his second one. At times, he played terrific, returning, and he also went very low near the net and put it away. Yes, the 24 Grand Slam champion isn’t No. 1 now, but it doesn’t really matter, as even more than that, he wants to win another Grand Slam. The 38-year-old player always seems to add some new shots, and at the Australian Open on Tuesday night, he put together some incredible points. He is there, ready to beat anyone. Believe it or not, after winning, he said his match was one of the best ever.

“It’s one of the most epic matches I have played on this court, on any court really,” said Djokovic, who played three-hour, 37-minutes. “The medication started to kick in, and it helped no doubt. I had to take another dose, it sounds awful, but I had to. If I lost that second set, I don’t know if I would continue playing, but I felt better and better. I managed to play a great couple of games to end the second set. I saw that Carlos was hesitant from the back of the court, and I took my chances. I started to feel and move better.”

The Spaniard did push him back, rather than attack, earlier, but he didn’t. He is young, and he has won four Slams, so this year, Alcaraz has to rethink about what he has to do. His forehand, backhand and net play are terrific, but when he returned versus Djokovic, he couldn’t move left or right. The same thing. That was a big mistake, so he will learn coming up.    

Djokovic was so pumped-up , and now he thinks he can beat Alexander Zverev in the semis. However, the German is also play fine ball.

 “Novak is the greatest of all time right now.  I think it’s it’s going to be a great match.” Zverev said.

No. 5: Qinwen Zheng

The 22-year-old had a terrific season, as the quick hitter finally understood what she was doing on the court. It took her a while to smash the ball, crosscourt or down the line, and to put it away. However, she has some fine weeks, but others, she could collapse. The Chinese did start early in January, reaching the Australian Open final, and finally, she lost against Aryna Sabalenka. That was good enough. Months later, she won the Olympic Games,  beating Donna Vekic. In the fall, she gained ground, reached the final Wuhan, and won in Tokyo. She showed a lot of new styles. In the WTA Finals, she reached the final and had a serious chance against Coco Gauff, but the American out-lasted her, 7-6(2) in the third set.  Zheng can look very good when she plays well, but she can drop off in others, like at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open. Sabalenka has beaten her three times in 2024, beating Zheng quickly.  She has to improve her serve and her performance on the net. Without a doubt, she must attack early and often. If she does, the Slams are eating for her.

No. 4: Jasmine Paolini

The 28-year-old Italian had an amazing year, almost coming out of nowhere, reaching the final at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She was so consistent with her deep forehand and her backhand. She can spin it, flatten it out, and top it. She can lose early, but she can lock it in, then she can explode. She won Dubai,  and with the doubles, she and her partner, Sara Errani, won some huge events. Paolini wants to win a Grand Slam for the first time, as at Wimbledon, in the final, she was so close, but she went down, 6-4 in the third set against Barbora Krejcikova. That was a brutal loss. Still, if Paolini can do the same thing, plus with a more potent forehand, then yes,  on clay, she can hit anyone.

No. 3: Coco Gauff

At the end of the year, the 20-year-old American had a fabulous win, taking the WTA Finals. She beat Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng, playing so solid and driving on the ball. She did not have a spectacular year, but there were some smooth results when she won Beijing in the fall. However, at Roland Garros, in the semis, she went down her up and down forehand, losing quickly against Swiatek. At the Australian Open, in the semis, Sabalenka slapped her forehand close to the lines, and Gauff could not understand what she had to do. She lost, and she was frustrated. Now, given that she is still young, she will try to enhance her forehand and to return, too. She has already won a Grand Slam, so clearly, she is darn good. However, people rise fast each year when they practice and try to do something better. If she does that, Gauff will win another Slam in 2025.

No. 2: Iga Swiatek

Being No. 1 is very important, and the Pole did it for a while, but right at the end, Sabalenka took it. Oh well, Swiatek can take it back again in 2025, but she will be more grounded. For the most part, the steady master can lock it in,  winning Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome and  Roland Garros, winning only one set. Wow. However, after that, she started to slide, losing at the US Open and the WTA Finals. Sometimes, the players can become bored over the years, on the court and off. And then, you can find the solution when you are walking, all by yourself. Swiatek seems to really love tennis, and given that she can crush her forehand, her backhand, her first serve and her return, then in 2025, she will snag another Slam in 2025.

No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka

What a stunning year for Belarus, who won the Australian and US Open. The huge hitter knocked down against Gauff and Zheng with some phenomenal groundstrokes.  It was pretty good on clay, but not great, as she can be more patient. Yet in the summer, she became more case on the hardcourts, winning Cincinnati and grabbing the US Open, beating the American Jessica Pegula. Her forehand is massive, her backhand is heavy, and her return is very aggressive. Her serve has improved a lot, as a few years ago, she had so many double faults, but now, it is much more consistent. She can win another couple more Slams in 2025, and it would be nice to win at Roland Garros [clay] or Wimbledon [grass], but to do it, she will have to be much more thoughtful on the court and off.

No. 10: Barbora Krejcikova

At the net and returning she is spot on, when she is into it. She plays a lot of doubles, which has helped her over the years. Yes, the Czech can fall, especially in the third set, but still, she knows which way to go and tricks. She has won the 2021 Roland Garros and 2024 Wimbledon, so clearly, she can be totally intense. She has yet to enter the semis at the Australian Open and the US Open, so in 2025, she will try super hard. She might not, but she will make a considerable effort.

No. 9: Daria Kasatkina

The Russian has had some terrific matches, but she also can lose it on the court. However, when she is into it, then she can look stunning. She did go deep in Adelaide, Abu Dhabi, Charleston, winning Eastbourne, Seoul and taking China in the fall. She can be very consistent and try to snare her backhand crosscourt. Oddly, she can beat almost anyone when she plays very well, but in different weeks, she can lose early, too. In 2025, she knows she has won many matches but has not gone deep at the Slams. She must be thinking about it. Try to do different things, like when she returns, into the corners, for a winner.  

No. 8: Emma Navarro

The American had a fine year, as she looked much better going into the semis at the US Open. She was intense, moving quickly and nailing it with her strong backhand and forehand. She can also hustle and put it away early. However, there were weeks when she lost early, as she is only 23 years old, so she is still learning how to play. She beat Coco Gauff twice this year, which was impressive, as both wanted to smash the ball from the backcourt. At the start of the year, Navarro won Hobart, so in January 2025, maybe she can win it again. If she does, she will undoubtedly go into the second week at the Aussie Open, and there, she could chop down one of the top 5 players. However, she has to pull it up.

No. 7: Jessica Pegula

At the US Open, the veteran finally made it into the final at a Grand Slam, and this time, she was totally into it at the US Open. The 30-year-old knocked off Iga Swiatek and Krejcikova before she lost against the current No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, 7-5, 7-5. Close, but not accurate enough. 

She has been working on it for years and is now more aggressive and thoughtful. During the summer, she won Toronto and reached the final at Cincinnati. She was finally ready to attempt to nail it whenever she could. However, in the first six months, she can push the ball and hope that her opponents will miss it. Yes, she is steady, but her serve isn’t hard enough. In the fall, she didn’t do much, so she can go to Australia and be fresh next year. Hopefully, Pegula will sprint and be much more accurate.

No. 6: Elena Rybakina

When healthy, she can out-hit all of them, cracking her forehand and backhand. Two years ago, she won Wimbledon,  and when she did it, it looked like she would do it at the other three Grand Slams. However, she hasn’t done it, although she did reach the 2023 Australian Open. But she lost,  as Sabalenka smacked her. Just before that, Rybakina beat Sabalenka to win Brisbane. They know each other a lot, playing on the clay in Madrid, and in the final, Sabalenka edged her 7-6 (5). Take about close. She can be accurate and powerful, so if the 25-year-old can lock in, Rybakina will certainly have a chance to win another Slam. But to do it, she must be more patient.

No. 15: Jelena Ostapenko

The strong veteran can nail the ball with her variable strokes. The Swiss has gone deep when she is on top of it. Eight years ago, she won the Roland Garros, but she lost somewhat earlier, becoming when she is frustrated. The Latvian has been with some super long matches and pulled it off, but she also has lost, with some odd decisions. She does have an opportunity to do very deep at the Slams again, but to do it, then she will have to be much more calm and thoughtful. 

No. 14: Anna Kalinskaya 

She can go up and down, month after month, but the Russian played in Dubai in February, winning seven matches until she finally lost in the finals. She upset with Ostapenko, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek before she went down against Jasmine Paolini 7-5 in the third. So clearly, her legs are strong. However, she can drop for months, losing way too early, but in June, she reached the final again, in Berlin, out-hitting Vika Azarenka and finally losing versus Jessica Pegula. After that, she struggled, playing way too much. If she can change a few things, then in the court, and to be more suitable, she can go deeper weekly. She will have to.

No. 13: Diana Shnaider 

The 20-year-old is already rising, ending the year when she won Hong Kong. She always seems to push herself; even then, she can lose against the top players, but she will try to play spectacularly, even when losing. She upset Coco Gauff in Toronto, even though she was feeling good when she lost in the semis against Pegula. But that is not week after week. The lefty is learning to be more proper, and in the event in Germany, she beat Paula Badosa, Emma Navarro and Donna Vekic to win it all. That was pretty darn good. The quick hitter also won another two tournaments, with different areas, so she must be intense and with some cool shots.  It is hard to say when the young players can always be terrific, but Shnaider will try to serve harder and at the net, too. If she does, the top 5 will come very soon. 

No. 12: Paula Badosa

The Spaniard had a fine year, going bottomless all over the place, running hard and knocking it back. Perhaps she is not a mammoth hitter, but she can put it away on the lines. She won Washington, and she reached the semis at Cincinnati. She did go into the quarters at the US Open, and later, the steady hitter went into the semis at Beijing. She has been for a decade, and her forehand has finally been stronger, but if she can mix it up more, then it is possible that she can finally go into the final at the Slams. Yet she will have to show it.

No. 11: Danielle Collins

We all thought that the American was going to retire, month after month, but then, during the fall, she decided to continue to play again. Her body was breaking down, yet suddenly, she felt good again.  Now she is there, so hopefully, she will be healthy, a lot, as during the fall, she lost quickly. The huge hitter put together some terrific wins in the first four months, winning Miami and Charleston. She is very aggressive and tries to put it away in the corners. She has never won a Slam, but she did come somewhat close at the 2022 Australian Open. In 2025, she will have another chance to snare it, but to do it, she will have to be super fit or lose.

No. 20: Arthur Fils

The Frenchman is very young, and he is already pretty intelligent. Of course he needs to improve with everything, but he already is a lot of variety. However, year after year, the green players can rise up fast, but to get into the top five is a huge challenge, and many people fail. The is reality. The good thing is that in the summer and the fall, he won Hamburg, beating the current No. 2 Alexander Zverev, and in Tokyo, he beat Holger Rune and Ugo Humbert. That was impressive. Fils did lose here and there, but he can laud it on, week after week. Assuming that the 20-year-old will keep healthy, then next year, the top 10 is waiting. 

No. 19: Karen Khachanov

The veteran Russian had a fine fall, reaching the final at the 1000 Paris, before Ugo Humbert overcame him. He also reached the final in Vienna, and earlier in October, he won Almaty. He must have been fantastic. However, he plays a lot, when he looks good, but there are others events that when he is playing, he can get very frustrated.  Back in February, he did win Doha, but right after that, then he lost way to early. Perhaps next year, he can exploit again, or just hanging around, with the same type, forehand and backhand. 

No. 18: Frances Tiafoe

This has not been a spectacular year, but there were some wild, very good events.   Coming at the start of the season, it was thought that when he was ready to go into the top five, then he could be super consistent, all the time. However, week after week, he lost early, from January through July.  But in August, almost out of nowhere, he reached into the final at the ATP 1000 Cincinnati, beating Holger Rune in the semis, until the current No. 1, Jannik Sinner beat Tiafoe in straight sets. Then, three weeks later,  he reached into the US Opens semis, playing great, but in the end, he lost against his friend, Taylor Fritz, 6-1 in the fifth set.  He could not raise his game again, which disappointed him.  The good thing is that he really likes to play, on court, or when he is practicing. He has some new shots, but he can back off, and then he can miss some odd strokes, way out.

 In 2025, the American will have a chance to go into the finals again,  but will Tiafoe win a ATP 250, or 1000? He has to be prove it, again.

No. 17: Lorenzo Musetti

The Italian man is only 22-years-old, so over the past three years, he actually has enhanced his backhand, down the line, and at the net, which he needed it. Of course his forehand is excellent, and he can return somewhat deep, but mentally, he can be up and down. He did reach into the semis at Wimbledon, upsetting Taylor Fritz in the quarters, until he lost versus Noval Djokovic in straight sets. Musetti did reach into the final in Turin, Italy, and also in Cagliari. Yes, when he is feeling good, then he can bash the ball, but he has to be more aggressive. The other Italian, the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, it took him at least a few years to be more solid, and also, with variety. Eventually it did, so now, Musetti can be more suffering, and then, at the end of 2025, he can be at least in the top 10.

No. 16: Hubert Hurkacz

That was an odd year, very good early, and then so-so in the end. He did win Portugal on clay, and in Halle, in the grass, he reached into the final, upsetting Alexander Zverev before he lost against  Sinner. Even at the start of the year, he reached into the final at the United Cup, in Australia. So it should have been great, but it really didn’t, as in the fall, he went down, early. Perhaps his body collapsed, so next year, he can jump up high again. Or maybe not.

No. 25: Tomas Machac

The Czech is very solid, and powerful, too, upsetting Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai when he reached into the semis, and finally, he losing against the No. 1,  Jannik Sinner. He also, shocked Novak Djokovic in the semis in Switzerland. He can play amazing. However, there are many events when he lost, early, so he needs to improve his serve, and at the net, also. If he wants to be more consistent, then he should try to rush the net, more.

No. 24: Alexei Popyrin

The Aussie Open has had a few tremendous wins, when he also stunned Djokovic in the third round at the US Open. His forehand and his backhand were on fire. A month ago, he won the ATP 1000 at Montreal, out-punching Andrey Rublev in the final. He had really turned it around. However, there were some months when he lost pretty early, so he must be more fitting, with his return, and his direction. At least, though, he has added a few darn good shots. 

No. 23: Alejandro Tabilo

In June, he won Mallorca, on the grass before Wimbledon started, and that was somewhat surprising, but he hung in there. After that, he did little, yet before that, he went deep, in Rome, and also, he won a tournament, in Aix-en-Provence, France. He was so loyal, and darn, smart. As long he can be healthy, he can win another event, against the very good people.

No. 22: Sebastian Korda

The San Diego man became injured again, at the US Open, so he stopped for the rest of the year. He is still pretty young, as he should be fine in January, but it happened a few times,  so he has to be very careful, with his body. He did have a few fine events, going deep at Montreal when he reached into the semis, upsetting Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev. He also won in Washington on the hardcourts. His strong backhand and his forehand were forceful, and finally, he went for it, earlier. Really, when he is playing intense, and very good, then he can beat many of the skilled players, but if he wants to eventually get into the top 5, he is going to have to prove it.

No. 21: Ben Shelton

Yes, the young Atlanta player can look stellar, as he can bash his forehand, and he can explode. He has had some very good events, but he has also lost when he would forget about exactly what he needs to do. He did win Houston, in April, but at the huge events, he went down during the third sets, or even the fifth sets. At the US Open, in front of the crows, he lost against the other American, Frances Tiafoe, 6-3 in the fifth. Ouch.  He can eventually reach into the top 10, as long as he can improve his backhand, and at the return. He is already pretty sharp, and he will get elegant, year after year.

No. 32: Maria Sakkari

There were times when she was playing spectacular, as when she was rocking in the matches, she made it into the semis at two Slams, at Roland Garros and the US Open in 2021. She made it into the top three, which was terrific. However,  this year,  she did not do well, month after month, except for Indian Wells, when she upset CoCo Gauff in the semis, yet Iga Swiatek crushed her. After that, the Greek did little. Yes she is still very fast, and she really likes to play long rallies, but her forehand and her serves are somewhat short. She is going to attack much more, and earlier.

No. 31: Leylah Fernandez

The Canadian is still young, and while she can be to soft, she can also try to find the lines. Sometimes, she changed her tactics, and she can grind it, too, but she backs off. She is strong, yet she needs to improve her serve and the returns, too. Attack, attack, and then the 2021 US Open final can eventually be in the top 10. Maybe.

No. 30: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

The Russian has played for many years; in 2024, she recorded her 500th career win. That is a lot. The 33-year-old plays almost every week, trying to smash the ball when she can and often when she is locked in, and she can beat almost anyone. But not anymore, as she has lost pretty early this season. But, in the Slams, she can look very good, reaching the final at the 2021 Roland Garros. She will try to do it again, if she can improve her footwork.

No. 29: Yulia Putintseva

The veteran has won three titles. Not much, but at least on the grass this year, she did win Birmingham. She was darn happy. Now, though, the 29-year-old can re-set and try to hit her forehand harder. Her backhand is solid, but she should try to crush it down the line. 

No. 28: Ekaterina Alexandrova

The Russian reached into the semis at Miami, upsetting Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula. That was somewhat wild, as she lost a lot in the first rounds this year. However, she can swing away, when she is feeling very good, very deep. Also, though, she looks very frustrated on the court. Alexandrova didn’t play well in the fall, so if she wants to get better, she has to improve her forehand and at the net, touching it and putting it away. 

No. 27: Liudmila Samsonova

So many Russians are playing well when locked in, but they are not specular yet. This year, she won the title in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.  After that, she had a few very good matches but could not go deep enough. Samsonova is young enough to attempt to go at the net and nail it right on the lines.

No. 26: Linda Noskova

The 20-year-old is rising fast, as the Czech won many matches in January in Australia. She didn’t win it all, but her forehand is tremendous. However, she can back off, and she is still trying to figure it out what to do. In the summer, she won the title in Monterrey. The heat must have been brutal, yet at least she hung in there. Next year, it will be fascinating as she wants to get rid of the up-and-down return and her second server, too.  Then, she will be close to the top 10 and further.

What a wild match. The Americans had a chance to go on onto the semis at the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain, against the Australians, but in the third set,  Thanasi Kokkinakis wouldn’t fold. He outlasted versus Ben Shelton 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(14). Kokkinakis saved six match points, but he together a few amazing strokes.  The young American Shelton tripped up. He was not thrilled, at all. 

That was the first match, and in the second match, the No. 4 Taylor Fritz beat

Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4.  Then in the doubles, the two Aussies Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson rose, beating  Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4.  

“I fought my ass off, and I didn’t leave anything out there on the court, but to not get a win in one of those two matches hurts pretty bad,” Shelton said.

How about Kokkinakis, who has been around for a long time, but over the past year, he is more consistent, and also, he can changed new tactics. “I don’t know if I’ve been that pumped up in my life, I wanted that one bad, I wanted to help my team,” said Kokkinakis.

“(The tiebreak) was tough, we were both serving well, I think I only got tight on one shot… he was serving incredibly, I can’t even speak, I’m happy.”

He really was. The Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan made a choice, to use Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the doubles, but opted to use Tommy Paul and Shelton. They couldn’t do it. 

“We were expecting the other pair, but we knew they’ve got incredible players who can play doubles,” said Ebden. “We were ready. A slight adjustment obviously. More huge serving singles players than the doubles craft, maybe, but it was just as big a challenge as any. Out here, final live match, just to play with Jordan here was real fun.”

The Australian will face  against Italy,  including the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, on Saturday.

. 

It is pretty unusual that Carlos Alcaraz will face off against Alexander Zverev in Turin. In order to advance into the semis. t

The Spaniard has to win, and not into the third set. He lost against Casper Ruud in straight sets, so if Ruud beats Andrey Rublev, then he will advances. It is very complicated, no?

Anyway, Alcaraz and Zverev have played each other 10 times, and it is split, 5-5. Early on,  in 2021, the Spaniard was getting started, but then he came very big. However, at the ATP Finals one year ago, Zverev took him down in three, tight sets. This year, the German beat him at the Aussie Open in the quarters. Six weeks later, at Indian Wells on the hardcourts,  Alcaraz destroyed Zverev. They know each other very well, and they have also to really mix it up, and smash it, when they can. They also really like to rally, and try to jump on the second serves. Also, they can try to nail it, down the lines.

“My chances of qualifying are still there, so we’re going to go all out. He is one of the toughest players in the world for sure,” Alcaraz said. “I think I return pretty well but he has a really big serve and plays unbelievable from the baseline, which makes him a really tough opponent to face. I don’t like to face him because of his serves and shots, but I am trying to find the beauty of playing him.”

He has three Grand Slams, and he could do it once again, next year, but it is critical to snare it in Italy. 

The No. 2 Zverev has never won a Slam, but he has won it many times, 23, including at the ATP Finals, twice, and some at the ATP Masters. 

“I’m happy with the win. Maybe it was even better than my first match, even though the first match was quite good as well,” said Zverev. “I’m looking forward to Carlos now on Friday. “I’m missing a little bit the differences in surfaces because before there was a clear difference between a clay court and outdoor hard courts. Some were very slow like in Indian Wells, but some were very fast, like Canada was always very fast, Shanghai was always very fast. And indoor hard courts. I think we lost that a little bit by trying to make all the surfaces very similar and almost the same.”

Both Taylor Fritz and  Jannik Sinner won, today, and they will advance into the semifinal. Against who, now one will know, yet.

Over the past 20 years ago, very few Americans have made it into the ATP Finals. But this season, Taylor Fritz qualified among the eight players. Fritz started very well, beating Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-3. He played terrific, but the Russian went crazy, throwing his racket, again and again. In the end, he was totally frustrated. His anger went mad. Hopefully, Medvedev will recover, so he can show with the fans in Italy. Or maybe not. 

Fritz has had an interesting season, playing mediocre, and then, he can turn the lights, reaching the US Open for the first time. He lost to Jannik Sinner, but there were some games when he was darn close, but not enough. 

On Tuesday, Fritz will have to do it again, as the No. 1 Sinner is so solid now. He is incredibly powerful, from both sides, to nail his first serve. He beat Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday at Turin with some tremendous shots.

It should be a fascinating match between Fritz and Sinner, whether they will change it up or try to crush it, early, on the hardcourts. Medvedev will face Minaur on Tuesday.

Carlos Alcaraz is sick and hurt on the court and off, and then he lost versus Casper Ruud 6-1, 7-5. Ruud can look amazing finding the corners, plus he does like to rally. However, the three-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz also likes to throw it all around, and he is very fast. But he is still young, and he can become upset when he thinks about it. Plus, he has to recover, or he will be out.  

“It can be a bit tricky,” said Ruud. “I knew he was dealing with a bit of a cold. I saw him sniffling in the back area and with a tissue for his nose, so that’s a sign that maybe physically he won’t be necessarily at 100 percent. Of course, that is sad, and not good for him, but at the same time it is part of the game… but it’s definitely one of the best wins of the season for me.”

Alexander Zverev is playing much better now. He is getting stronger, beating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4. It was someone close, but the Russian wasn’t returning well, so to out-hit Zverev, he had to bring it back and hit it very hard down the lines. Yet he didn’t.

“I thought it was a very solid match from my end,” said Zverev. “Against anyone here, you have to play your best to have a chance, you have to be solid [and] mentally strong.”

Zverev will play against Ruud in what should be a thrilling match-up.