No. 15: Jack Draper
The 22-year-old had a very good year, as Britain won Vienna in the fall, and at the US Open, he reached the semis, knocking off Alex de Minaur, before he lost against the No. 1, Jannik Sinner. He was not only consistent, but he can nail it into the corners. Even on the hardcourts, in June, on the grass, he won Stuttgart, and while he did not go far at Wimbledon, he tried week after week. Yes, he still has to add some smart shots and mix it up more, but he is young, so assuming he will focus, he will go into the top 10 soon.
No. 14: Ugo Humbert
He had a pretty good season, reaching the final at the ATP Paris, upsetting Carlos Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov before he lost versus Alexander Zverev. He plays all the time, and some days, he looks very powerful, but on other days, he can push it around and not show where he should go. He won Dubai in February when he upset Daniil Medvedev, so he can stick it in there when he really likes to rally. However, month after month, he can go up and down. Next year, he will have to be more real on the court.
No. 13: Holger Rune
You never know whether he can look amazing, but then, he can drop fast. Last year, he was ranked No. 4, playing tremendously, but in 2024, he was good but not huge. Yes, he can go deep, but he couldn’t win another tournament when he backed off. He is fast and could have some fine strokes, but he also can miss it a lot when it is very close. To watch him, though, he can attempt to put it away when the Dane is locked in. Next year, the 21-year-old Rune will push himself again to enhance some important shots.
No. 12: Tommy Paul
The American has developed a lot this season, winning London/Queens and the semis in Rome and Indian Wells. Those three were significant events, which is fine, and also, though, in February, he won Dallas, a smaller place. He has refined his forehand and at the net. His backhand has always been very fit, and he can smash it down the line and crosscourt, too. He is OK with his return, too, and he does not slice much at all. In the fall, Paul won Stockholm, beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final, one of her best. However, he lost early and could not play the ATP Finals. Next year, he wants that, so if he can be more aggressive, he will have a fortune.
No. 11: Stefanos Tsitsipas
He is another person who, when he was so close to winning a Grand Slam but couldn’t, then when he was thinking about it a lot, it is possible that he could fail. Tsitsipas reached the 2021 Roland Garros and the 2023 Australian Open finals but could not grab it. He can hit his forehand and backhand deep when he is really into it. He is tall and can jump, but this season, he is decent but not wonderful. At least he won the ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo in April and reached the final in Barcelona. “I have huge belief that I’m capable of winning not just one Grand Slam, but many of them,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time.” He didn’t, as he didn’t do much from May through November. In 2025, try, try again.