Will Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner take the Miami title?

Carlos Alcaraz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Is it possible for Carlos Alcaraz  to win Indian Wells and Miami back to back?

Some people have, but not many, such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.

Azarenka  is still there, but Djokovic decided not to play in Miami, Federer has retired and Swiatek, who won Indian Wells, just lost in Florida against Ekaterina Alexandrova. When you win Indian Wells, you could be tired, depending on how you feel.

Alcaraz’s will find out shortly, when he has to face versus  Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian, who put down Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6(5).  

On court, the 20-year-old can really throw into some very cool shots, being patient and when he is set up, he can drive the ball. Alcaraz can miss here and there, down the line or crosscourt. Yes, he will keep going, harder and harder.

“Every player has his own style. But probably mine is a little bit different to other Spaniards’ style,” he said. “I think other Spanish players have similar style than mine. I’m more aggressive. I think my ball goes faster. I have a lot of things that I can do on the court. It’s depend on the player.”

Believe it or not, in the 2023 Miami, he lost to Jannik Sinner in three sets. Maybe it will happen again, because the Italian is still winning. Sinner won the Australian Open, and this season he has won almost all of it, also winning Rotterdam. But guess what?  Alcaraz out fooled him, beating Sinner it 6-2 in the third at Indian Wells in the semis. It could happen again, but  Sinner has to be patient, and go for it early, if there is a chance.

Christopher O’Connell will play Sinner on Tuesday , and he has to play spectacular, as this year he has not gone deep at all, until this week. He has to play very consistent, and move forward, fast. If he wins it, it will be one of his best matches of all time.

Speaking of Hubert Hurkacz … he has had a decent year, even terrific, as the tall man not only can chuck it some many aces, but he can hit his forehand and his backhand deep, without too many errors. He is thoughtful, that is for sure. However, he has to face Grigor Dimitrov, a veteran, as the one-handed backhand can earth him. He can play great, or he can disappear. It is hard to know, but it should be a very intense match.

We all know that the former No.1 Azarenka has won the title three times in Miami in 2009, 2011 and 2016, and she was very good, but she would hit some off errors. Maybe she will win it again, but she is ranked No. 32, and she has not won a big title in a long time. The 34-year-old is still so powerful, from both sides, but she does not return enough, and to run it down. Maybe Azarenka  will rise up one more time, but first she has to face Yulia Putintseva, who has been consistent for a long time. They will try to jump on the lines.

Here is a stellar match when Elena Rybakina will face Maria Sakkari, the two top 10ers. The No. 4 Rybakina won Brisbane, and her strokes can be tremendous, but she can also trip it down. Finally, Sakkari started to play well over the past few weeks, and she reached the final at Indian Wells. She loves to rally, for many hours, but she also has to go for it, faster. She has no choice as Rybakina will attack her as soon as she can and put it on the lines.

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek win Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Maybe when you cannot believe that Carlos Alcaraz came to the tournament at Indian Wells that his body was very sore, but day after day, he rose, and the Spaniard won it all, beating  Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5), 6-1. Yes, the Russian was darn  tired, in the second set, as he had played a lot of tough matches, but Alcaraz did all of it, with his amazing forehand and his backhand. He can mix it up all over the place, and he can also charge, and put it away.

The 20-year-old is so quick, running, and he can bend down and slap it, or just touch it, next to the net. His serve can be up and down, but he can blast it into the corners, and then he will be controlled.

Without a doubt, Medvedev really likes in the rallies, especially with his super consistent forehand and his backhand, and he can also chuck it around, everyday. However, he has won one Grand Slams at the 2021 U.S. Open, but he has not won another. He probably will, but he really needs to add some differnent shots, like to attack when he is returning, and also, clip it more into the net.

Alcaraz has won two Slams, and if he continues not to get hurt a lot, then he can win another Slam or more. He is intense.

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it began, I had a lot of doubts about my ankle,” Alcaraz said. “I remember my first practice here was just 30 minutes with no movement and probably the first practice with really good tennis players was really tough for me, because I thought I was not going to play my best. I was not feeling well with my ankle, so a lot of doubts for me. But once I stepped on the court, the first round, I started to feel better.”

Medvedev won Miami last year, so while he must be physically tired, he will try to wake up, and grab it again.

Iga Swiatek did it immediately, as the No. 1 smoked Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 in the second set in the final. She has lost some matches in the past two and a half months, but when she is rolling, then she can nail it early, crosscourt or down the line. She can get frustrated, but she is now much more mature. As she said: “I would say you just feel like your game is better than anyone out there,” she said.

Indian Wells: Tommy Paul to face Casper Ruud

Tommy Paul
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Taylor Fritz was gone, when Holger Rune hit a number of shots in a 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 victory. Now the American men have one left, in the quarters, as Tommy Paul will face off against Casper Ruud on Thursday at Indian Wells.

Paul is looking better, stroke to stroke, and he can also attack when he has a decent chance. Ruud can be creative, when the 25-year-old can feel that when he is on top of the ball, then he can hit it extremely hard.  Paul said that he really wants to win a huge tournament, like this one.

“My goal coming into this year was to win titles. I made I think two or three finals last year,” he said.  “Never won the tournament. So this year was, like, my main goal is to win tournaments. I got one title, and I want more. I mean, I want to leave the tournament with a win. The best feeling in tennis, and it doesn’t happen too often.”

Jannik Sinner is winning all the time, beating everyone right now. The Italian out-hit over Ben Shelton, and now he will be a decent  favorite when he faces
against Jiri Lehecka, another young man who is only 22 years old. He is quick, fast, and he can also jump on the ball. The Czech has been up and down this year, but at least he won at the start of the year at Adelaide, Australia.  However, Sinner knows that he has to be much more thoughtful, point after point.

”I never take things for granted. I mean, every tournament, every match you go on court trying to do your best, trying to stay mentally focused,” said Sinner. “That’s what I try to do.”

Who would have known that the American Emma Navarro took down the No. 2  Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2? She has been playing fantastic over the past eight days, with some tremendous shots, with her forehand and her backhand. She has been returning really well, and she can mix it up when she is thinking where to go. Plus, now she is more comfortable, on the court, and off.

“It’s a little bit unnatural for me to be in the spotlight and be playing on a court like that with a ton of fans and TVs and eyes on me. It’s not my natural way,”  Navarro said. “But I feel I’m definitely getting more comfortable Also I think that was my second or third fist pump ever.”

She will have to face against Maria Sakkari, who loves to rally, and she rarely gives it up. However, she can push the ball, at times. That should be a marathon.

The other American, the former 2023 U.S. champion, Coco Gauff, easily beat  Elise Mertens 6-0 6-2. Now Gauff  will face against Yuan Yue of China, who is very steady, but in order to chop the American, she will have to nail it in her forehand. Gauff has a fantastic backhand, and she is also wonderful at the net, but she can slip up with her forehand. Without a doubt, though, she can really focus, even when she is not playing great. She is more mature and she is getting better, gradually.

A stunner: Luca Nardi upsets Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells

Novak Djokovic

At the beginning of Indian Wells, the No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the best player. But once and a while, he can lose, especially early. He did, when the 20-year-old Luca Nardi shocked him, when he put together some amazon rallies.

Without a doubt, Djokovic was somewhat flat, in the third set, and Nardi ran so fast. He won it, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. The fans could not believe it, but the intense No. 123 kept going hard, and he ran second after second. When he won, he was thrilled, whether he will last this week is a new question, but he did say that he was thinking what he had to do.

“I think that before this night no one knew me,” Nardi said. “I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, 100 in the world, and beating Novak. It’s crazy.”

Yes it was, but now he has to face against the American, Tommy Paul, who beat Ugo Humbert, a very good player.  Paul has not had a great year in 2024 at the top 10 men, but he put some solid wins. It is time to play even better and  try to move up further.

“I’ve been working on playing aggressive, even at the most important times,” Paul said. “I’ve been doing better at that.”

On Wednesday night, the other American, Ben Shelton, has to over think against the Australian champ Jannik Sinner. In the Aussie Open, Shelton went into a fifth set, but the smart, veteran Adrian Mannarino chopped him down. But on Tuesday, at night, Shelton will have to play as well as he can as Sinner is on fire, week after week. He will have to snap on his arms, and go down on the lines. It should be a super intense contest.

The long time women players who have won so many terrific matches, when the champions,  Carolina Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber, will play each other on Wednesday night. If you like to watch some long rallies, then sit down and gaze because it could take hours. That can go cross court, backhand to backhand, and also,  change it up, more. Will one of the players win another huge event, ever again?  Probably, yes, this year, but it is unsure. 

Speaking of which, the  American Taylor Fritz won Delray Beach, beating Paul. They know each other well and which they go. However, Fritz did win Indian Wells two years ago, so now, if he can nail it into the corners, consistently, he will have chance to go far. However, he has to knock down over Holger Rune, who is a darn good player, when he is on. He can be super solid, with his backhand, and he can return, too. But if Fritz can be immediately aggressive, then he can push him way back and put it away. Good, luck.

Australian Open men’s final: Sinner over Medvedev

Jannik Sinner
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

When you play for the first time, in a Grand Slam, then he can raise up so high, but if he is so nervous, then he can fold, quickly. That is not Daniil Medvedev, who won the 2022 US Open two years ago, yet the young Italian, Jannik Sinner, has not done it yet. On Sunday night, he will charged up, or will he panic, early? It is hard to saw, but over the years, the great players were shaky, early, and then, they will focus and look for the prize.

Sinner, was tremendous in the semis, when he blasted against the No. 1 Novak Djokovic, with some wonderful forehands and his backhands, running everywhere. He can flat it out, and he can also spin it. His serves are pretty hard, close to the corners, and when he returns, he can push it deep, here and there.

But that does not mean that he is even close to be perfect, yet, as while he has beaten a number of fine players, but he has lost in some tight matches. Sinner is growing up, but he needs to grab it, as soon as possible, right now. Really, you never know when you start, as over many decades, many players have shut down, such as Kevin Anderson, Kei Nishikori , Marcos Baghdatis,  Rainer Schüttler, David Nalbandian, and on and on.

However, the 22-year-old   Sinner, is more aggressive, and he can also think inside within his head. He can beat him, but to do it again, he must attack with his forehand, and really hustle. His tennis coach and his broadcaster, Darren Cahill, said, “When you play a certain style of tennis and you keep taking losses, you can’t keep doing the same thing. You have to change and your game has to evolve. That’s what Jannik has been attempting to do for the last couple of years. That’s a great quality and that’s what he needs to continue to do. Never stop evolving and never stop getting better.”

He has to, as Medvedev knows exactly how to play, when he is locked in. He can lose, and he has, here and there, but when he is feeling good, he can throw some tremendous shots. His forehand and his backhand are so solid, and he can blitz the ball. He edged over Alexander Zverev in five sets, a brutal one. He lost against Sinner three in the fall, so he does know how to try to beat him, and he has to change it.

“I said before the tournament, I want a change, I want to become better with myself,” Medvedev said. “To not have after the matches these moments where I’m like, ‘I did this with the crowd, why did I do it? Did it help me?’ I just don’t want to have it any more. I want to play tennis, I want to be proud of myself, I want to fight.”

However,  Sinner beat Medvedev three times in the fall, at Beijing, Vienna, and the ATP Final in Italy.  That was very good, but Medvedev beat Sinner six times, so it is darn close.

He will try to be totally confident, and more thoughtful.  

“The three matches, all of them were tough. Two tie-breaks and two three-setters,” Medvedev said. “I had my chances. All of them were in the end of the season where I felt like I was not at my 100 percent, even if I was playing pretty good. I was maybe at 97, 96 per cent, and against him you need to be at 100.”

Regardless, Sinner will win it in five wild sets.  

Australian Open day 8: Fritz: ‘It’s one-sided with Novak’

Novak Djokovic

It is possible that  Taylor Fritz will finally upset Djokovic for the first time, but the No. 1 has all but  dominated him, over eight matches. The American is playing well in Melbourne, yet when they hit the balls, backhand against backhand, the Serbian is much more consistent. At the 2021 Aussie Open, Fritz was close to trip Djokovic, but the current No. 1 pounded him in the fifth set and he grabbed it, 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2. He was more comfortable, while Fritz was shaky.

After that, they played another five matches and Djokovic won it, winning 11 sets. He will have to do something much better on the hardcourts, because his serves and his forehand will have to be spot on.

“Since then when I’ve played him, I’ve played pretty poor, I think. I think that I have a lot more level to bring than I’ve previously brought against him. As far as playing me, hasn’t ever had a reason to change up what he’s doing or change strategy because it’s always gone his way,” Fritz said. “I think there are people that I have played quite a bit over the years who I’ve gone back and forth. Maybe I win, maybe I lose. Between us we’ve made a lot of adjustments to the game plan and changed a lot of things around. I mean, it’s been one-sided with Novak. I feel like he’s played me pretty much the same every time.”

He is going to have to. He cannot complain, or become two frustrated, so just go out and try to frustrated him. In general, Djokovic  is more knowledge, on the court, and once again, he will win it in four, tough, sets.  

The No. 4 Coco Gauff is so clean, when she is playing, hitting with some excellent, deep   returns. Her backhand is so strong, wherever she wants to, and at the net, she can also put it away, everywhere. The 19-year-old has won “just” one Grand Slam, but she is much more appropriate now, as two years ago, her forehand was sloppy. However, she does have to focus all the time, as she has to face against  Marta Kostyuk, another player who is trying to rise. The  21-year-old Ukraine can be somewhat decent, and she can also try to hit it down the lines, but this year, she has not gone deep, hardly at all. Against Gauff , she has to try to attack, early. However, the American will bash her, to win it in two solid, sets.

There are two other matches which should be some dusty, close contests, when Aryna Sabalenka will go against Barbora Krejcikova, and also, Jannik Sinner will face versus  Andrey Rublev. Sabalenka  did win the AO last year, here, while Krejcikova  won another major, when she won Roland Garros. Sabalenka is a jumbo hitter, from both sides, while Krejcikova is excellent at the net. If Sabalenka manages to serve consistently, rather than to chuck in a lot of double faults, then she can set it up and nail it into the corners. The Czech Krejcikova can get it early, and find where she is going, but she has to be very careful. She is intense again, and she will beat Sabalenka in three, difficult sets.

Italian Jannik Sinner is still young, but each few months, he looks sharp, on the court. He is a lofty hitter, and his serves are close into the corners. He still has to be better when he is returning, and bending down when he is close at the net. Russian Rublev can also attempt to drive him measureless, and he can play with his huge forehand. Sinner has beaten him the past two times when he won it at Miami and Vienna, so he can raid it,  earlier. Sinner will win it in five, harsh sets.

Aussie Open preview: Gauff, Rybakina, Rublev

Grigor Dimitrov
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

There have been some upsets in last week’s tournaments.

Grigor Dimitrov won Brisbane, beating Holger Rune7-6(5), 6-4 in the final. He has come close over the years, but he had not won an event since 2017 at the ATP Finals. However, the Bulgarian can be so consistent, when he is feeling it, and he can also throw in some terrific shots. He is currently ranked No. 13,  so he can look very steady, but then, he can back up and chuck in some wild shots. But the very talkative person can discuss his life, on court, and even off court, he really does how he feels. He cried when he won another title.

“I think there’s a lot of emotions on so many different levels for me,” Dimitrov said. “I think clearly winning a title, it means a lot to me. It’s been a while. I think having that moment is in a way what I’m after.”

Dimitrov actually thinks that at the Australian Open, he can go far, again. In 2017, at Brisbane, he won it when he beat Kei Nishikori in the final. Then in Melbourne, he was flying high, knocking off Richard Gasquet in the quarters, and finally, at night, in the semis, Rafa Nadal beat him in five, fantastic sets.

Next week, in the Grand Slams, Dimitrov will be secure again, but in the past 11 majors, he hasn’t reached into the quarters, so it is time to swell again.

“It humbles me in the same time because I feel like I’ve been playing good tennis, and I also feel there’s a little bit more that I can get better at on a few more things,” he said. “Who knows, if those things go right, what else might be coming my way.”

The No. 5 Andrey Rublev also won, winning Hong Kong,  last week. He really needed that, as at the 2023 ATP Finals, he did not win a match. He looked pretty tired. However, in the fall, the important person looked very clean, when he reached the final in Shanghai, beating Dimitrov in the semis, and then finally, he lost versus Hubert Hurkacz. He was close enough, but week to week, he can be looked depressed, and angry , in the court. Still, the Russian can look classic, at times, so this year, he should reach into the semis at the Slams, for the first time, if he can, as last year, in January, he played against Novak Djokovic, and the Serbian crushed him in just seven games. He has to be much better, ASAP.

The No.3 Coco Gauff kicked off early, winning Auckland, edging  Elina Svitolina  6-7(4) 6-3, 6-3. It was pretty close, but her backhand, her first serve and at the net, she controlled it.

“It was not my best level of play, but sometimes, when you are not at your best and you win, it makes you more satisfied,” Gauff said.

“It gives me a lot of confidence beating Elina. It was cool seeing how I handled the pressure especially after losing the first set. I was proud of the mental fight I showed today.”

She is 19-years-old, and she is growing, gradually, or maybe she will be more quickly. Her forehand is now improved, and while at times it isn’t very deep enough, she seems to unavoidably to do. When they are teenages, they are so excited that she wants to play all the times, and sometimes it will do the same things, wherever you can, and other times, they don’t focus all the time, on the court. She may become  No. 1 eventually, but at the last two tournament, in October and November, she lost against the current top player, Iga Swiatek. The Poland person is still the most complete player week after week. Gauff

has to put together with her strokes, more often.  She has to, as last year at the 2023 Aussie Open, she lost in the fourth round against the huge hitter, Jelena Ostapenko. This time, the American has to be totally inhibited.

How about Elena Rybakina who also won, smashing over  Aryna Sabalenka 6-0, 6-3.  What a blow out. When she is so consistent, and caring, then she can stay in there, but last year, she looked very good, but then, she would explode, and then she made some many errors. The crazy thing is that the Russian reached into the final at the 2023 Aussie Open, and it looked like she could win her second Grand Slam, but   Sabalenka out hit her with her massive  forehand, to win it 6-4 in the third. They did that again, three more times, and they split, it. It will occur time and time again, as both of them will go dish deep at the majors. It is some  terrific matches.

Notes

Rafa Nadal pulled out of the Australian Open as once again, his legs are  beating down. He is 37-years old,  and pretty soon, he will retire.Maybe this year, or next, it is hard to say, but it is ticking, faster…

In Adelaide, Tommy Paul and  Sebastian Korda are playing this week, and in Auckland Ben Shelton is playing. A young Frenchman, Arthur Fils, who is winning a lot. If they have a great week, then at the Slams, they can leap so early…The same goes with the Aussie Alex de Minaur, when it took him a while to be more consistent, and now, finally, he cracks the Top 10 for the first time. The must have been huge.  He is coached by two players who went very deep at the Slams including Sergi Bruguera, and Sebastien Grosjean.

TennisReporters.net top 32 men: No. 10-6

Hubert Hurkacz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

10 Taylor Fritz

He had an odd year,  beating some terrific players, and then, he would lose in the third sets, or even the fifth sets at the Slams. The American did win an ATP 1000 in 2022, when he won Indian Wells, but this year, he only won two at the tournament, in Delray Beach, and Atlanta. That was good, but it wasn’t among the top 20 players. Yes, he can bash his forehand and his backhand, and he can hit it down the line, and also go, crosscourt, yet the excellent players can be more consistent. Three of them beat Fritz on the hardcourts in March and April with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Yes, Fritz can return pretty good, and when he is confident, he can make an attempt to hit it very deep. The think is, though, is he is not terrific at the net, and his backhand could be so-so. At the US Open, the No. 1 Novak Djokovic crushed him, in three quick, sets. He must have been seriously disappointed, and in the fall, he did very little. He is smart, and he reads during the points, but next year, if he wants to go super deep, at the Slams, he has to improve his volley, his second serve, and at the net.

9 Hubert Hurkacz

At what point do you know when eventually, he will return much better, and also at the net, and then, he will have a solid shot to win a Slam? Hmmm. He had a decent year, when he won Marseille, France,  early, and he didn’t do that much until the fall, when the tall man won an ATP 1000 in Shanghai, China, beating Andrey Rublev in the final. Then, he reached the final in Basel, Switzerland, before he lost, but that was pretty solid. He is a powerful person, and he can smash his forehand and his backhand, plus he can be very fit and, versatile. He also can defend it, but he can also  trip it up. He did win the 2021 Miami, so he could be right there to win a Slam, for the first time, but then he has to be more physical, at the net.. If he does it, it is possible that the Polish can do it for the first time. Yes for me, that will be surprising.

8 Holger Rune

He is still pretty young, and he is rising, each year. He is only 20-years- old, so he has to understand exactly what he has to do, when he returns, and mix it up. He is fast, running, and he can move forward, and trust it around. On the clay, the Danish man began to swell right there, in Monte Carlo, upsetting Daniil Medvedev  and Jannik Sinner before he lost against Andrey Rublev. That was a great move. Then he won Munich, Germany,  and then in Rome, he stunned Djokovic in three sets, and in the final,  he lost against Daniil Medvedev. After that, he was much more concordant, and at Wimbledon, when he looked more stable, he reached in the quarters when he finally lost against Alcaraz. Rune’s  forehand was powerful, his backhand was somewhat solid, and he can throw it all around the box. Many players can start to feel very tired, but he will try hard, week after week. At the ATP Finals, and while he lost both matches, he was right there. He did  lose two matches against Djokovic and Sinner, but it was darn, close. Next year, if he continues to attack, earlier, with his backhand, and also to add more different shots, then for sure, he will go into the top five, and maybe, he might win a  f Slam in 2024. He is that good.  

7 Alexander Zverev

Will the German finally win a Grand Slam, next year? He has come close, a few times, but he was unable to hit a monstrous shot, into the corners. Yes, he can sit there, rally to rally, and he can swing hard, or he can just wait until he has a genuine chance to touch it on the lines. Perhaps when he started, he was immature, and he has said some obnoxious things, but now, he is a little bit more mature, so maybe next year, he can be much smarter. This year, almost all the top five guys beat Zverev, with  Djokovic, Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. Is that enough? The good thing is that he did knock down Sinner and also, Andrey Rublev, but the mediocre is that when he is playing against the top ruler, he doesn’t really like at the net, and with his second serve, too. He should improve it, or he will not win a Slam in 2024. As he said: “I’m not going to change and get the emotions out of my game. It’s important to have emotions in sport. If you don’t have emotions, it’s like you don’t really care. Because if you care about something, you’re always going to be emotional. Doesn’t matter if it’s sports or personal life.”

6 Stefanos Tsitsipas

He started so well in January, reaching into the final at the Aussie Open, as he was hammering the ball, with a lot of spin, especially with his dry one-handed backhand. However,  Djokovic was more steady, especially with his return and his first serve. He was pretty packed, but not enough. On the clay, he was DARN decent, yet he could not break it out, when Alcaraz beat him twice, in Barcelona and Roland Garros. After that, he did a few very good matches, but then he began to struggle. He did have some fine matches, such as in Los Cabos, Mexico, and also, right at the end, he reached the semis in the ATP 1000 Paris, when he beat  Zverev, before he lost against Grigor Dimitrov. Then he retired at the ATP Finals in Italy. He was mentally, hurt. Tsitsipas thinks that if he can remedy with his forehand, more flat, and twist his volley, then he will have another chance to win a Slam. He really wants to do it.

TennisReporters.net top 32 men: No. 15-11

Casper Ruud

15 Karen Khachanov
The big Russian started very strong, reaching the semis at the Aussie Open, smashing the ball, and finally losing against Stefanos Tsitsipas. He has a huge forehand, and his first serve is massive, but he isn’t that fast when he is running, and he doesn’t like to come into the net, often. At Miami, he did upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round of 16, which means that he can lock in, at times, but in the semis, the other Russian,  Daniil Medvedev, wore him down. He had a up and down year, winning a few more terrific wins, but in the fall, he did very little. He did win the ATP 1000 Paris, five years ago, so if he wants to do it again, he must slice it more, and attack when he is returning.

14 Grigor Dimitrov
In 2017, the Bulgarian won four events, especially at the ATP Finals in London, beating a variety of players, against David Goffin. He has a tremendous variety, especially with his cool one-handed backhand. He is peach  good at in the net, and his forehand can a lot of spin. However, he is 32- years-old, which is OK, but he has to change something that is new. He knows that, he lost against Alexander Zverev beat him three times in a row, at the end of the summer.  The positive thing is that while he can get dejected, during the matches, but he will continue on, and decide to whither to go. In November, he refreshed, and he reached the final in Paris, indoors. He beat two prime players, with Daniil Medvedev and Tsitsipas. He looked uncanny, but in the final, Djokovic once again banged him. He could win another title,a big one, but he must capital the moment.

13 Tommy Paul
The American improved a lot, this year, as when he started in 2021, he was OK, but his forehand and his backhand wasn’t rugged enough. However, last year and this year, he began to change, with his first serve, when he found the corners, and his return was more efficient. He reached the semis at the Aussie Open, beating Ben Shelton, but then Djokovic pounded him. Each week, he was really trying, being core, but also,  he would forget which way to go. The positive is that he reached the final in Acapulco, beating Taylor Fritz, and the in the semis in Toronto, when he almost shocked against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters.  Yet after that, he started to miss some cheap shots, and he lost against Shelton twice, especially at the U.S. Open. Paul is more satisfied, but he knows that if he wants to get into the top 5 next year, he has to shove himself closer to the net, and also, to hit it, early. As he said going into at the 2024 Aussie Open: “I’m really excited,” said Paul. “It’s like every person’s dream when they start playing tennis to play the big matches at the Slams.It’s important to me. Since I was young, that’s all we’ve been hearing, since like 14 years old. The coaches have been telling us, ‘We need new Americans. It’s kind of engraved in my head.” Then go do it.

12 Alex de Minaur
The Aussie had some terrific matches, as he plays a lot, taking down against some ultrafine players, but also, he did lost when he tripped it up, when Djokovic bullied him at the Aussie Open. Yet in Acapulco, in March, he won it, beating Holger Rune and Paul. That was a immense jump. He did very little on the clay, but on the grass, his backhand returned, and his forehand was merciless. He reached the final in London/Queen’s, and belief it or not, he beat Rune again. Then in the final, against Carlos Alcaraz, the Spaniard served into the corners, and also, he has more multifariousness. With de Minaur, you don’t really know if he can be so intense, but he did for some weeks in the summer, when he looked fantastic in Los Cabos, and Toronto, reaching both finals, upsetting with Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev.  And then, in the U.S. Open, there,  Medvedev turned the tables and beat the Aussie in four, easy sets. De Minaur is pretty young, and he educated  a lot this year, but in the  fall, he did not do that much. Next year,  he wants to get into the top 5, then he has to clean it up, each month.

11 Casper Ruud
Another 24-year-old had an sole year, as the Norway was ranked No. 3, and in the first three months, he won very few matches. Finally, he started to be much more proper, and thoughtful, when he won Estoril, Portugal. That is not a huge event, but he had to beat anyone, so he did. He was finally satisfied, and to watch him, he can meld it into the corners, or in the middle, eye-full. He reached the final at Roland Garros, and he was much more suitable, beating Rune and Zverev. In the final, he hit some daydreamer shots, and it was somewhat close, but once again, the No. 1 Djokovic  has a better backhand, and returning, too.  After that, he began to bust, and clearly, in the final, his legs must been tired.  He really is a first-rate player, and if you recall it, in 2022, he reached four grand events in Miami, Roland Garros, the U.S. Open, and the ATP Finals. He is right again, so in January, he will be refreshed, and then he has to be a couple new shots, with his athletic first serve, and at the top of the net.

TennisReporters.net top 32 men: No. 20-16

Frances Tiafoe
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

20 Ugo Humbert

In the fall, he lost two really close matches, against Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Zverev. The Frenchman had played a lot, to different tournaments, and he had some fine wins, but also, he wasn’t sure where to hit the ball. However, in November, he won Metz, not with the great players, but in a sense, it doesn’t matter, as he drove the ball, quiet deep. Yes he can be consistent, but if he wants to reach into the top 10 next year, he will have to be more aggresive, whenever he gets a chance. He has won four small titles, so if he wants to grab an ATP 1000, then he is going to have to rise up, very soon.  

19 Nicolas Jarry

There are so many people who think that eventually, they can run into the top 10, or the top 5, but in reality, perhaps they cannot do it. The Chilean had a very good year on clay, winning Santiago and Geneva, knocking down Casper Ruud  and Alexander Zverev. He is pretty decent, on the hardcourts, as his forehand and his backhand are darn, strong. He does have a decent style, and he can sit there for a long time. However, if he wants to go into the top 10, then he has to improve his serve, and also, to be more patient at the net.  

18 Cameron Norrie

When Norrie is playing all the time, week after week, he is very consistent. He really likes to grind it, to set it up, and when to nail it down the line. His forehand and his backhand can be steady, and he can mix it up, but the 28-year-old has reached in 15 finals, yet he has only won at the ATP 1000, at the 2023 Indian Wells. That was great, and he returned terrific, but eventually, he can back off, here and there. At the 2021, he reached the semis at Wimbledon, he knew that he had to play terrific to upset Novak Djokovic, but the Serbian decided to sit there and hit it backhand after backhand. He was just better. Norrie will try to be better at the net, with his first serve, and with his forehand. Clearly, he plays a ton, and he likes to be creative, but maybe he should to strike, earlier.

17 Ben Shelton

Who would have know that the young American would beat a number of good players and grab it, in the matches? He was surprising, when in January at the Australian Open, he reached into the quarters, and he hit some amazing shots, but Tommy Paul was more faithful and he lost. Then many people know new who he is, yet after that, he did almost nothing, losing a lot, for six months. He needed to learn, each second, and then at the US Open, he reached into the semis, upsetting Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe. He was jumping up and down, and then in the semis, the No. 1 Novak Djokovic pounced him. As he said, “I’m thinking to myself as I’m walking to get my towel in the fourth set, and it’s, like, this is the greatest moment on the tennis court of my life, and I’m in a lot of pain, physically. But I’m loving it.”

However, during the fall, he continued to play much better, with his backhand and his forehand, when he is more in-your-face, winning Tokyo. Next year, if he continues to hit harder in the second serve, and with some more slice, then he certainly go into the top 10 next year. Or even, lower.

16 Frances Tiafoe

The other American had an odd year, playing astonishing and then, when he is on the rallies, he can table some curious shots. He is very enthusiastic, and off the court, he can laugh a lot, which is a blast. However, he was unable to win a tournament this year, and he did not even go into the final. Going into the start of the year, it looked like that his backhand should improved more, and the same goes with his return. He certainly can nail it his strong forehand on the lines. In the fall, he did not win many matches, so perhaps he was mentally shaking, , so to comeback soon, he has re-set exactly what he has to do, and be more satisfied, on the court.