Express Sport writers have made their 2024 tennis predictions (Image: Getty)
With the 2024 tennis season just days away, the Express Sport team have had their say on who will win the biggest tournaments in the calendar. In an Olympic year, some are backing Rafael Nadal to have a fairytale farewell. Carlos Alcaraz is primed to take his crown at the French Open while Novak Djokovic is still the favourite to keep making history at the Grand Slams. And Iga Swiatek looks set to sweep the clay events as a unanimous favourite.
Australian Open champions
Yasmin Syed: Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff. Alcaraz and Sinner may be getting closer to Novak but not in Melbourne, I still can’t see anyone toppling him there. Back on an outdoor hard court in the sun, I’m backing Gauff to continue her US Open momentum and win her second Slam in a row.
Charlie Gordon: Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek. Djokovic prevailed in four of the last five years and his main competition, Carlos Alcaraz, has never made it beyond the third round in Melbourne. Swiatek will be desperate to add the Australian Open to her budding Grand Slam collection and she goes in as the red-hot favourite.
Neil McLeman: Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff. Only another Covid outbreak can stop the Serb winning an 11th title in Melbourne. He will overtake Margaret Court and win his 25th Grand Slam Down Under. The American teenager will continue the momentum which won her the US Open.
Mikael McKenzie: Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka. The men’s side of the draw is not even up for debate. Djokovic is in top form and will get Grand Slam No 25. We don’t know what state Osaka will be in when she returns after an 18-month break, but two of her four Majors came Down Under.
Novak Djokovic is the heavy favourite to win the Australian Open title (Image: Getty)
French Open champions
YS: Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. Paris will finally see a new men’s singles champion with Nadal’s physical condition in doubt. Alcaraz seems primed to come back hungrier than ever to win in Paris after his cramping issues last year and I’m backing Swiatek to win three in a row at RG – the tournament has truly become her hunting ground.
CG: Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. Alcaraz is a whiz on clay and it would be perfectly poetic for the Spaniard to dedicate a win to his compatriot, Rafael Nadal. Swiatek has won three of the last four French Opens on the women’s side, and at 22 years old her trajectory should still be trending upwards.
NM: Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. In the most open Major, the Spaniard will claim the third leg of his career Grand Slam just after his 21st birthday. The world No.1 will compete a hat-trick of titles – and her fourth overall – at Roland Garros.
MM: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek. Even a 50 per cent fit Rafael Nadal can win the title at Roland Garros. We’ve been taught time and time again why we should never bet against him on the French clay. Iga Swiatek is also a master on this surface.
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Wimbledon champions
YS: Novak Djokovic and Madison Keys. Djokovic was “p***** off” when he lost to Alcaraz in the 2023 final and it spurred him to sweep the US swing. It’ll be the same when he returns to SW19. You always need un unexpected winner on the women’s side and Keys’ grass-court prowess and experience at Slams could finally pay off for a career-defining run.
CG: Novak Djokovic and Ons Jabeur. Alcaraz needed a world-class display of guts and determination to topple Djokovic last year, which gives the Serb a mouth-watering motive for revenge. Jabeur has lost the last two finals in a row, and her exciting style of play will once again give her rampant support from the SW19 crowd.
NM: Novak Djokovic and Ons Jabeur. The Serb should have beaten Alcaraz in this year’s final – he had a point for a two-set lead. After losing the last two finals, the Tunisian’s time will come this year.
MM: Novak Djokovic and Jessica Pegula. Djokovic will be more fired up than ever by the way he lost last year’s final. Pegula has been knocking on the door for some time and I expect her to pick up a Grand Slam title in 2024 – so why not at Wimbledon?
Novak Djokovic is out for Wimbledon revenge (Image: Getty)
US Open champions
YS: Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka. 2024 is the year Sinner wins his first Slam. He’s had some close losses in Flushing Meadows the last two years and will finally get over the line. Osaka is hungry to win more Majors on her comeback and, once she has some matches under her belt from the first half of the season, I can see her getting back to collecting big trophies at the USO.
CG: Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff. I fancy Sinner to bank a Slam next year. He’s becoming a force on the hard court and there have been five different men’s winners in five years at Flushing Meadows. Coco Gauff can retain her title with the support of an American crowd behind her.
NM: Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff. Another season of three Grand Slam titles to take his total to an unbeatable 27. Cheered on by fervent home support, the American will retain her title at the age of 20.
MM: Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff. Djokovic to dominate again as end-of-season injuries ravage the field. Gauff to come out on top with home support.
Coco Gauff will have the home fans behind her as she hunts a second US Open trophy (Image: Getty)
Olympic gold medal winners
YS: Holger Rune and Iga Swiatek. Now Rune has a super team of Boris Becker and Severin Luthi, I have to pick him for a big title and I back him on clay over best-of-three. Once again, Swiatek is unstoppable at RG though I’d back her to win the gold medal in any venue.
CG: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek. I had to do it! Nadal won gold in 2008 and 2016, it could be his farewell tournament and it’s at Roland Garros. What more needs to be said? The Parisian venue has also been a happy hunting ground for Swiatek, who will surely fancy her chances of notching a coveted title.
NM: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek. Yes I do believe in fairy stories. The Spanish great to win one final title at Roland Garros. The Pole will again be unstoppable in the French capital.
MM: Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek. Djokovic will want revenge from missing out on the French Open title. Swiatek is unbeatable in the women’s draw.
Iga Swiatek has been backed to reign supreme in Paris (Image: Getty)
Which player ranked outside of the top 70 will have a breakthrough in 2024?
YS: Erika Andreeva. The older sister of teenage sensation Mirra will follow her up the rankings and give us a new sibling success story. Now at a career high of No 112, the 19-year-old can build on her recent strong showings at 125k events.
CG: Alex Michelsen. One of only three teenagers in the men’s top 100, 19-year-old Michelsen is tipped for a bright future and could make a splash at the Australian Open.
NM: Linda Fruhvirtova. The Czech teenager reached the fourth round on her Australian Open debut and after a mid-season dip, she is ready to climb back up the rankings from world No.92.
Keep your eyes on Linda Fruhvirtova in 2024 (Image: Getty)
Who will be the biggest disappointment of 2024?
YS: Karolina Muchova. I hope this isn’t the case but I don’t trust that she can stay injury-free. The sport will be better with her going deep at the big tournaments and fans are hoping she can build on her 2023 form but if her body doesn’t co-operate, next year will be a disappointment and her ranking could take a tumble.
CG: Nick Kyrgios. He brings so much to the table, but injuries limited the Aussie to just one competitive match in 2023. Even when he is fit and firing; does a player who, by his own admission, is ‘tired’ of tennis have the hunger to dig in and produce big results?
NM: Cam Norrie. The British No.1, who reached world No.8 last year, will struggle to stay in the top 20.
