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.