At the start of the Australian Open, who would have thought that Madison Keys would win a Grand Slam? Yes, at the beginning of the year, she did win another tournament, at Adelaide in the beginning of January, but the 29-year-old had never gone into the Slams. Eventually, when it was deep, she failed, year after year. But the American finally rose so high, beating the No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. She was totally into it, point after point.

It was not just him when the now three-time champion, Jannik Sinner, out-hit against Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. He was stronger on the court, and his forehand and his backhand were phenomenal. A few years ago, the Italian was up and down, week after week, but now he is so stable and consistent. 

It certainly told Keys after she won it that she might not be able to win another major, but this time, she was finally much more harmonious and nailed it with her huge first serve and her forehand and backhand. She finally climbed high.

“I felt like from a pretty young age, I felt like if I never won a Grand Slam, then I wouldn’t have lived up to what people thought I should have been,” Keys said. “That was a pretty heavy burden to kind of carry around.  I think it just kind of forced me to look at myself in the mirror a little bit and try to work on, kind of just internal pressure that I was putting on myself.”

She put away the tough pressure, knowing that if she hung in there, and just lock it in, then she will have a chance to beat anyone. She did, as not only did she beat Sabalenka, but also she knocked off the No. 2 Iga Swiątek in the semis. Even before that, she  bumped off Danielle] Collins, Elena Rybakina, and Elina Svitolina. What and incredible line-up. Apparently, she would also listen with her therapy.

“To really start kind of digging in on how I felt about myself and really being honest with myself about it, it was really hard,” she said. “So just being really honest and actually getting help and actually talking to someone, and not just about tennis but about how I felt about myself. I honestly think that had I not done that, then I wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Last year, Sinner won the Aussie Open for the first time and became super fitting. At the 2024 Aussie, he pushed himself, even though he was nervous, but in the final, in the fifth set, he pounded against Daniil Medvedev and won. Then he was ready to take off, and he did, winning Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, the US Open, Shanghai, and the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. And now, he grabbed it again at the 2025 Aussie Open. He is No. 1, and he will stay there for a while. Perhaps the 23-year-old can win many more Slams.

He was so composed and brilliant. He is rocking and rolling. Now, he will try to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon. 

“The first one is more kind of relief. It’s different. It gives you the [knowledge] that you can do it if you play some great tennis,” Sinner said. “The second one, this one, maybe you enjoy it a bit more because it’s different. But every Grand Slam, or every tournament you win, or you go far, it has its own story. You have to pass difficulties, like I did also this year here, and this makes it very, very special.”

No. 5: Daniil Medvedev

Back in 2022, the Russian won a Grand Slam at the US Open, and he was so steady, with his deep forehand and his backhand.  Then, it was clear that he will win another Slam, and since then, he tooked many wins, but he has not won another gigantic event.  However, when he gets into the rally, then he can still beat almost anyone. Yet in 2024, he lost some odd days, such as in the ATP Finals, when he only took one set. However, the former No. 1 played some terrific matches, reaching into the final at the 2024 Australian Open, but in then, Jannik Sinner out hit him in the fifth set, 6-3. Medvedev knows that he should have to try into the corners, and close to the lines.  But he couldn’t. He did flipped Sinner at Wimbledon, yet Carlos Alcatraz beat him in the semis. And then at the US Open, Sinner  cracked the Russian.

He can look very well, and the tall man can run for days, but this year, he did not come into the net much, and his second serve is spotty. In 2025, he could improve both of them, and attack early, if he wants to win his second Slam. 

 No. 4: Taylor Fritz

The American had a terrific year in the second half.  The 27-year-old ended the year and for the first time, he finally made it in the top five. At the US Open, he beat Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe, and in the final, he lost against Sinner in three sets. He became very steady, and when he had a chance, he could rip his forehand and his backhand, almost on the lines. But year after year, he could look good, but then he would slip out. This season,  he started slow, but then he played more fitting, winning  Delray Beach, a small event, and then, he started to be much more patient, going into the final at Munich on the clay, and in Madrid,. He also won    Eastbourne on the grass. At the US Open final, he was a little bit nervous, but Fritz was “tough to handle, to much emotion.”

In the fall, at the ATP Final, he did beat Alex de Minaur and Medvedev, but then,  Sinner chopped it again.  

He did have a fine year, and  he can rake it from the backcourt, but he should be more comfortable at the net, as it is critical to do it more. He can also return better, too. If he does, he will have a chance to try and win a Slam, but he will have to be more harmonious.

No. 3: Carlos Alcaraz

Early in the summer, the Spaniard will play way up in the sky. The former No. 1 won Roland Garros, beats Sinner in semis and then in the final, against Alexander Zverev,  in the fifth set, he went on the tear, and he grabbed it. Five weeks later, he won Wimbledon, beating Novak Djokovic in the final, with just three sets. He was totally into it. He was playing super consistent and he reached into the final at the Olympic Games, but Djoko beat him, as the Serbian played amazing. After that, though, Alcaraz started to look like that he was hurt, physically, and perhaps, mentally. He didn’t reach into the second week at the US Open, but in the fall, he did win the China Open. Yet after that, he was pretty much done. He did play the ATP Finals, but he lost against Casper Ruud and Zvereva. 

In 2025, Alcaraz will still be very young, and he has won  it on the hardcourts, the clay and the grass. He understands all of it, but he also has to be more thoughtful, most times.  If he does that, he can be No. 1 again. When? Who knows. 

No. 2: Alexander Zverev

The German was so close again, as the 27-year-old decided that here and there, he could try to crush the ball, rather than to grind it, game after game. He has done that many times, and he has won, but day after day, he could get tired, and then he could drop off. At the Australian Open, he went down versus Medvedev in the semis.  

He can mix it up, though, with his hard backhand and his forehand, into the corners. He won Rome, and he was ready to grab Roland Garros, but Alcatraz out hit him. He was a little bit frustrated, but he would continue to give himself a real chance. In a sense, outside of the Slams, he could be very composed, but at Wimbledon and the US Open, he lost against Fritz, twice. Maybe the American discovered how to beat him, possibly with his forehand. In the fall, Zverev looked intense, hitting the ball deep, and he won a big event, at the     ATP Masters Paris. 

For a decade, he has been trying to win a Slam. He has been crowded, but he hasn’t done it, yet. In 2025, he will try again, but to snag it, he should improve at the net, and in the second serve, too.  

No. 1: Jannik Sinner

Without a doubt, the Italian did his best year, ever. He won the Aussie Open and the US Open, on the hardcourts, beating everyone, and nailing it on the winners. At the end of the year in the ATP Finals, in Turin, he took it, knocking down all of them. He was so locked in, all the time. Over the year, he would look so-so, but he continued to enhance not only in the matches, but also, off court, when he can talk with the various coaches and people, too. Gradually, he was smarter, and more patient, too.  During the entire year, not only did he win the ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Cincinnati, and Shanghai, but also won in Rotterdam, Halle and the Davis Cup.  He will continue to be No. 1, at the start of the year, but there are a couple people who can hitch to be No. 1. Sinner and Alcaraz have played each other 10 times, as the Spaniard leads the rival 6-4. They both really like to rally, but they also move it all around, side to side. In December, Sinner is practicing, trying to improve when he is returning. If he does, then he will continue to win another two more Grand Slams. Believe it, or not.

No. 10: Grigor Dimitrov

Over the years, he was close to winning a Grand Slam, but he didn’t do it, and while the Bulgarian will still have a chance, he missed some critical errors at the end and then lost. However, the positive thing is that he has tremendous strokes with his stylistic forehand and backhand. The one-hander can slice it, top it, and flatten it out. His serve and his return have never been great, but at the net, when he is there, he can put it away. He won Brisbane at the start of the year and reached the final at ATP Miami in April.  He has to push himself in 2025, but he plays way too much, so the 33-year-old has to be careful. He won’t go deep in the Slams if he gets hurt frequently, which he did three times. But to win another ATP 1000. Well, he has done it once, so sure, why not?

No. 9: Alex de Minaur

The Aussie had a good year, playing terrific at the United Cup to start the year, beating Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. He was on fire but lost against Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open in five brutal sets. However, the young player was on a roll, reaching the final at Rotterdam, taking down Dimitrov in the semis before the current No. 1 Jannik Sinner grabbed the final. Regardless, the steady person kept moving, winning Acapulco over Casper Ruud, and he was thrilled. However, after that,  he was up and down, losing early, and then, he would explode again, winning the Netherlands. During the fall, he faded, and at the ATP Finals, he only won one set.  De Minaur will try to get into the top five, but to do it, he must improve his first serve, return and backhand. If he does, he will have a solid shot to reach the finals at the ATP 1000s and the Slams.

No. 8: Andrey Rublev

It is odd that during the ATP Finals, the Russian did not win a match in three of them, but at least he won a set against Casper Ruud. The now veteran has had a decent season, playing fantastic, and then, Rublev backs off, and then he becomes very upset. He did reach the final in Montreal, upsetting Sinner in the quarters, but then, in the final, the Aussie Alexei Popyrin stunned him. Week after week, he can play very consistently, but other times, he would think about what he should do or maybe something crazy. In April, Rublev won the ATP 1000 in Madrid, knocking off Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz. That was the best week, perhaps ever. He can be super fitting, but he can also fail. In 2025, if he wants to try and win a Slam, he has to be more mature on the court. After all, he has yet to enter the Slams’ semis. Change it.

No. 7: Novak Djokovic

Even though the great, great player did not have a specular year, at least the Serbian won some stellar matches. However, he is aging, and the 37-year-old has an amazing backhand. it is still there, but gradually, the opponent can hammer with his forehand. Look, the former No. 1 has won 24 Grand Slams worldwide, especially with the hardcourts dictating game after game. In the fall, the former No. 1 Djokovic stopped playing as his body was hurt physically. He should be fine in January, but it will be super interesting to see how he will play, perhaps with his new shots. Yes, his forehand is solid and strong, his first and second serve are on the lines, and when he returns, he can knock it back very deep. He did win another Slam in 2024, but at least he won the Paris Olympics, edging Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in the final. He had to, as the Spaniard beat Djokovic in three sets at Roland Garros. The other Grand Slam winner, the now-retired Andy Murray, is working with Djokovic, so they know each other well. At the 2025 Australian Open, which he won 10 times, and now, he will try to out-stroke with the young, darn good players. Try to snag it.

No. 6: Casper Ruud

Two years ago, he became No. 2 and was close to winning a Slam at Roland Garros and the US Open, but he couldn’t do it. So now Ruud will have to throw in some different shots. He is fast, running, and can nail it with his forehand and backhand. In the first six months, he played very well, reaching the final in Monte-Carlo, beating Djokovic, winning Barcelona, and then getting into the semis at Roland Garros. But after that, he didn’t go deep for the rest of the year. Ruud is very stable and can hang in there, but he slumped during the fall. If he can re-set and return better, he can try to reach the final at a Slam again. Go for it.  

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.

No. 20: Victoria Azarenka

The two-time Grand Slam winner has been around a very long time, spectacular at times, and disappointing, too. The Belarussian is still very powerful, from her forehand and her backhand, and she can also crush the ball when retuning, to nail it in the second serve. Yet the now 35-year-old is a little bit slower, running, and she has never been excellent at the net, putting it away. Now though, she has been more mature, off court, and when she is on, she can beat almost none. However, she hasn’t won a huge tournament since 2020, so because of that, she can get hurt, physically, each year. Next year, Azarenka will put together some cool strokes, but that doesn’t mean that she can win another Grand Slam. That is the way it is.

No. 19: Donna Vekic

She goes week after week, and when she is locked in, she can knock off many people. The Croatian is another player who has played for a very long time, winning well, and also, mediocre, at best. Earlier , she can drive with her hard forehand and her backhand, and attack, earlier, but she can also become frustrated, and then, she would lose. At least this year, she put together some terrific events, including the Olympics when she reached into the final,  and also in the semis at Wimbledon, but she also almost collapsed, at the end. She won’t be there forever, so she better throw in some new strategies, and breath again.

No. 18: Marta Kostyuk

The 22-year-old Ukraine had a decent year, losing early in the second half, but at least she made it into the final at Stuttgart on the clay, upsetting Coco Gauff and finally losing against Elena Rybakina.  She also went into the semis on the hardcourts , this time at Indian Wells, finally losing verses Iga Swiatek. There was another excellent week, when she reached it into the final at San Diego in February, upsetting Jessica Pegula, before she lost versus Katie Boulter. So it was a very good during the first four months, but then, she fell, very early. Maybe Kostyuk became hurt, physically, or she was just tired during the fall, but next year, she has to be more thoughtful, on and off.

No. 17: Beatriz Haddad Maia

The Brazilian has been grinding for a decade, and this year, she had a few good wins. In September, she won Korea, and in August, she reached into the final in Cleveland. Not bad. However, outside of that, she did not go deep in 2024, straining. She does like to rally, fore a long time, and she can also mix it up, too, but often, her ball can go short. Next year, she should swing harder. 

No. 16: Mirra Andreeva

Already, the 17-year-old is rising, very fast, going for it earlier, and to try to find the lines. She is quick, and determent. Her backhand is excellent, and her forehand is pretty good, but she still needs to work it more, into the corners. Without a doubt, the Russian can go into the top 10 in 2025, or maybe even lower, but you don’t really don’t know until she sees it, and reasonable almost all the time. Critically, though, with all the young players, you have to think about it all the time.  

No. 25: Magdalena Frech

The Pole person played well at the hardcourts, winning Guadalajara. She can chuck in some fun shots,  and she can also attack when she is feeling good. However, she can play pretty lousy during the matches, as she cannot discover what to do. She did have some fine matches, like in Prague when she reached the final, but other than that, she did not go deep enough.  Next year, she will try to play more harmoniously, as she wants to run into the top 10. Good luck.

No. 24: Katie Boulter 

It took her a long time to be in the top 30, as the English person was decent but not terrific. This year, she rose, reaching the final in Hong Kong and going deep in the fall. Also, she won Nottingham on the grass in the summer, and on the hardcourts again, she won it in San Diego. She was darn good. She traveled a lot, trying to find which way to go. Her backhand is solid, but her forehand and her return was spotty. However, this year, she was more focused and improved her decisions. Now, she is much more confident, so in 2025, she can have a chance to go super deep in the Slams. However, if she does it, that would be surprising. 

No. 23: Elina Svitolina

A couple of years ago, she was rising fast when she returned to play again. She was still quick, her backhand was powerful, and at the net, she was respectable. Yet she could not grab a Slam, which is fine, but without a doubt, she wants to.  In 2019, she reached the semis at Wimbledon and the US Open, looking good but not good enough. If Svitolina can improve her forehand down the line and bend down at the net more frequently, she will have a chance to win it. She has won 17 titles, more than a few, so in 2025, she will do it again.

No. 22: Karolina Muchova

The veteran is also terrific when on the lines and at the net. The Czech is to watch her in the singles and the doubles, too, winning year after year. This season, she reached the final in Beijing, upsetting Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng before she lost versus CoCo Gauff. She has a heavy topspin, with variety and her patience, too. However, she can lose, as in the semis against the US Open, in the third set, Jessica Pegula found the lines, while Muchova made some key errors. She can go short or hit it way out. Next year, assuming she is healthy, she will have another chance to win a huge tournament. How deep at the Slams again? Who knows?

No. 21: Madison Keys

Sometimes, she is nailing a winner with her huge forehand and backhand, but she misses it. Years ago, it looked like if she was healthy, then she could win a Grand Slam. She was close,  but in the end, she panicked, and she fell.  However, next year, Keys will be 30 years old, and she will still have a chance to go deep again, but then, she will have to be more proper and take some different, excellent shots.

No. 32: Flavio Cobolli

In 2025, he will try to crack the top 30 for the first time, but he is going to have to add some more strokes. He did a few marathons, on the clay, and he was very close, but the top 20 players took him down. On the hardcourts, he must swing harder with his forehand, and the net.

No. 31: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

That was a surprising year, as the young Frenchman won Basel, Switzerland, in the fall, and also, he grabbed it in Lyon. Now he lost a lot, yet the 21-year-old wants to play all the time. He is strong, physically, but  he does need to some, patient shots.

No. 30: Francisco Cerundolo

The Argentine did slip this year, not so much, but a little bit. He did reach into the top 20, but after when he won in Umag, in July, we could barely win a match. Perhaps he was hurt, but if he wants to drive, stroke after stroke, then he would be able to attack, early and often.

No. 29: Felix Auger-Aliassime

He looked terrific in 2022, but this year, the Canadian began to be confused, where to go. He certainly can nail the ball, and be there when he is happy, but when he starts to miss a number of simple shots, he can ticked off. At least he went deep at Madrid and the Olympics, but be on that, he really struggled. He should re-set in 2025.

No. 28: Jiri Lehecka

That was a pretty decent year by the Czech,  winning Adelaide early in the year, and then in the last tournament, he won Antwerp, Belgium. He does look thoughtful, on the court, but he has yet to reach into the top 20, so he has to add with his backhand, and at the net, too. There are so many intense players, but being more knowledge, where the ball is going. He will have to, if he wants to raise even  higher.

No. 27: Sebastian Baez

Another Argentine really likes to go into the top 10, eventually, so to do it next year, he has to push himself. Moreover, he did very little over the past seven months, losing a lot, all the time. However, in February, he won Rio de Janeiro, and also in Santiago, Chile, on the clay. He is very steady, on the clay, but on the grass and the hardcourts, he is going to have to try to smash the ball, a lot more. He has to wake up, each week.

No. 26: Jordan Thompson

The veteran really like to play all the time, flying everywhere, and on the court, the Aussie can sit back and rally for a long time. In a hot summer, in Los Cabos, Mexico, he won it, upsetting Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud, two top 5 players. That was the best, ever. Yet after that, he did very little, so in 2025, he is going to have to try to bash his forehand and his backhand, again. Some new stuff.

Clearly, when Jannik Sinner won the 2024 Australia Open, that if he stayed on playing, month after  month, then he can almost be everything.

That is what happened, when not only did he grabbed it at the US Open, but at the ATP Finals in Italy. Sinner won five straight match, beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final. He hit some incredible strokes, and more than a few winners. The No. 1 was so locked in.

“I just tried to understand whatever works best for each opponent,” Sinner said. “It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn’t play better.”

Sinner also beat Fritz at the US Open final, and this week he beat him twice, as the American could not return well enough. He can certainly get it into the points, but he has to put it back, or deeper. Either way, the Italian is so solid now, with his powerful forehand, his backhand, and at the net, too.

In the last game, Sinner nailed his forehand, and he rose up, knowing he was about to win it. He did, and then he smiled, very satisfied. Sinner hit 28 winners, while the now No. 4 Fritz hit 19, not enough by the San Diegoan.  

“He served absolutely lights-out,” Fritz said. “So many lines. He placed the serve great. He took a lot of risk on the second serve as well. I think that was probably one of his main game plans, to not let me attack his second serve. He did a great job of not only mixing up the second but being very aggressive with it.”

This season, he also  won at Rotterdam, Miami,  Halle, Cincinnati and Shanghai. That is a lot.

Now, on the hardcourts, he has improved so much, but he still he has to add some new shots, on the clay, and the grass, to bend it down and put it away. Will he do it when he practices in December. That is hard to tell, but he will try to look even better, such at Novak Djokovic, and Rafa Nadal, who have won so many Grand Slams.

Next week, both Sinner and Fritz will play the Davis Cup finals, in Malaga, Spain.

Will Taylor Fritz make it into the semis in Turin? Perhaps, but Fritz has to beat Alex de Minaur, who has lost twice.

The Aussie has never come to play at the ATP Finals until now. So he wants to show the fans that he is really good. If so, he has to play terrific, and if he does not do it, then Fritz, will beat him, somewhat easily. Fritz beat Daniil Medvedev in the first match, and the Russian was very angry, smashing his racket. However, the former US Open champion recovered, and he beat de Minaur 6-2, 6-4, and he was pretty clean. 

With that, he turned off all the noise, and he was very focused. But this time, he has to do it again, even more, because he has to face versus the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who is winning all the time. He also took down with Fritz, and it was somewhat close, but the Italian served  certainly better, and he also hit his forehand very deep, and true. He will likely play at the semis, but maybe Sinner wants to win it again, three in a row. He has had a fascinating year, but he has to be strong, each day.  

After he loses, Fritz was a little bit irritable, because he missed a few key points, but if he can continue to improve, then maybe he can win either at the ATP Finals, or the Grand Slam, next year. 

Medvedev will have to play amazing to win against Sinner on Thursday. He might take it, but when he can lock in early, then he will have a legitimate change, with some long rallies, and deep, too.

Carlos Alcaraz was slow in the first match as he was sick, but he recovered, and on Wednesday, he beat Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6(8), which was pretty close. He was more stylistic, and at the net, too. There were some long rallies, crosscourt, and down the line, but at the end, he edged him. Now, he has to beat Alexander Zverev, as the German won two matches, including when he defeated Casper Ruud  7-6(3), 6-3. The Spaniard Alcaraz wants to come into the semis, but to do that, he has to kick past Zverev. “I needed it and it gives me a lot of confidence for Friday, which will be tough. My chances of qualifying are still there, so we’re going to go all out.” 

Believe it or not, the 27-year-old Zverev wants to play for another decade, at least. He has won a number of events, but he hasn’t won a Slam. Maybe he will, some day, but at in Turin, he can grab it, again. “I still don’t feel old. I hope I have another solid 10 years ahead of me, but I think it’s a young group of guys,” Zverev. “There has been kind of a shift in tennis this year and I think it’s a good thing. They’re exciting new players [like the 20-year-old Alcaraz] and everybody loves watching them.” 

They are in Paris, but many people of the Frenchmen can be very nervous, on court, yet Ugo Humbert played terrific, upsetting Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. He nailed his forehand and his backhand in the third set, and he also returned just fine. Alcaraz can mix it up a lot, and go for it it when he is set up, but at times, he over thinks it. Yet indoors, Humbert was able to lock in, deep in the match, and  then he grabbed it.

“I’m just super proud of myself that I did it,” said Humbert. “It was a crazy match, a crazy atmosphere. It was a really big match.” It’s the most beautiful victory in my career, and it’s the best moment I lived on a tennis court. It’s incredible. I train for that. I practice for that. I made some big shots.” 

He has yet to go into the top 10, but he is ranked No. 18, so eventually, he could have a chance to beat more of the top players, this year, and next year. Alcaraz beat him twice, so clearly, the Spaniard is better than he is, but this week, not much. Humbert can be very patient, and throw it all around. However, this season, he has lost early, so now he needs to become more consistent. The good thing is that he won in Marseille  and Dubai. He will face against Jordan Thompson.

The American men lost a couple of days ago, and while Taylor Fritz [who lost] will play at the ATP Finals in Italy, the top eight, but  Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and  Ben Shelton went down early in Paris. Those three won’t be able to play at the ATP Final in November, but in 2025, they badly want to do it. 

A few others want to win Paris, including Alexander Zverev, who can play darn good. He edged the other Frenchman, Arthur Fils, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. He is young, but he still needs to learn. As Fils said, “He’s very tall, so it comes from very high. It comes very strongly. So you try to anticipate a little bit, to understand what he’s doing, but obviously indoors it’s different than being on clay. If you’re not on the track of the ball, you can’t return it. If you’re on it, it’s difficult to control.”

 We know that Grigor Dimitrov wants to stay around and knock off everyone. He is ranked No. 10, so to jump in Italy, he is going to have to win each day. Good luck.

The same goes with Alex de Minaur, who is ranked No. 9, and he is winning much more than he used to be. He has a real shot to play the ATP Finals, but he still have to win this week, and maybe, next week.

With the women, before the WTA Finals at Saudi Arabia, Riyadh — we know that it is complicated —that this week, the top women aren’t playing there, yet there are some notable players such as Leylah Fernandez and Sofia Kenin, who won in Hong Kong.

On Saturday, they will started in Riyadh, with Aryna Sabalenka vs.  Zheng Qinwen, and Elena Rybakna vs. Jasmine Paolini. That will be super interesting, to be in a new place. How many people fans will attend? Who knows.