The 2024 ATP season concluded only days ago, and it was a memorable one for our Aussie players.
Nine players representing Australia finished the year ranked inside the top-100 in the singles rankings.
The First Serve reflects on each of their seasons:
*Note – W/L records mentioned are across ATP and ATP Challenger Tours
Alex de Minaur:
Grade: A+
ATP Ranking: No.9
Despite some serious injuries throughout, Alex de Minaur completed a career-best season in 2024. He finished the year with a W/L ratio of 47-21 and achieved tournament victories in 's-Hertogenbosch on grass, and in Acapulco on hard court.
The 25-year-old began the year ranked 12th in the world, but like the two previous years, he improved his end of year ranking to finish inside the world’s top-10 for the first time.
De Minaur’s worst moment came at Wimbledon where he was forced to withdraw from his quarter-final match against seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. The injury he suffered in his previous match against Arthur Fils proved to be quite significant.
Yet, he still competed in his maiden ATP Finals this year. Before the tournament, he reflected on 2024, saying: "It’s been a great season for me, a breakthrough season in which I’ve dealt with a lot of adversity at the same time."
Alexei Popyrin:
Grade: B
ATP Ranking: No.24
What a year it was for Alexei Popyrin!
The Sydneysider finished 2024 with a W/L record of 28-22 which marked his best ever season on tour in terms of victories on court. After coming into the season ranked outside the top-40, he’s found himself inside the world’s top-25 by the end.
He surprised everyone by winning his first-ever Masters 1000 title in Montreal. Popyrin even had to get through fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz and fifth seed Andrey Rublev along the way.
It set the tone for what was to come for him, as he then went on a career-best major run at the US Open. The event in New York was especially memorable for Popyrin as he completed his best result at major by making the fourth-round. It was also significant by claimed victory over the defending champion and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic in the round of 32, after losing to the Serb at the Australian Open and Wimbledon respectively.
2024 will always be remembered for Popyrin's moments on court, but he also achieved something significant off it. He recently got engaged to his long-time girlfriend Pederick only days ago.
Expect him to continue making his way up the rankings in 2025.
Jordan Thompson:
Grade: B
ATP Ranking: No.26
The now experienced campaigner, like his higher ranked compatriots, enjoyed a very successful season this year.
Thompson captured his maiden ATP title in Los Cabos all the way back in February, and also had his most successful run at a major in New York.
The 2024 Newcombe Medal nominee's current ranking of No.26 is also the highest he’s ever been in his career, and with a top 10 W/L record of an impressive 4-4 in 2024, Thompson will be looking to rise even higher next year.
His singles ability is sometimes forgotten in the Aussie era of Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alex de Minaur, but make no mistake, Thompson is still playing as well as he ever has.
He will also look back on this year with fond memories as he became the last player to ever beat the legendary Rafael Nadal in Australia.
Christopher O’Connell:
Grade: C
ATP Ranking: No.64
It was a good season for the sole member of the Aussie contingent in the top-100 with a one-handed backhand.
O'Connell finished 2024 with a W/L record of 28-26, winning just over 50 per cent of his matches. His best results came at the Challenger tournament in Guangzhou, China, which he won after coming back from a set down in the final, and at the Miami Masters 1000 event, where he made the round of 16.
The former world No.53 will be especially pleased with his ranking, as his year-end rank of No.64 is his highest ever at the end of a calendar year, as he looks to rack up more match wins early on in the hard court swing next year.
Alexsandar Vukic:
Grade: C-
ATP Ranking: No.68
2024 saw very mixed fortunes for Alexsandar Vukic, beginning the year ranked No.62 in the world, coming off a career-best season in the previous year.
Early on though, he struggled to live up to expectation as he lost five out of his first six matches. From that point, Vukic endured a mixed bag of results with form slumps, but some solid performances.
The most notable result was his semi-final appearance in the Eastbourne event on grass, providing him the confidence to again make the semi-finals of a further two events in the last few weeks of the season.
The 250 event in Almaty and the Challenger tournament in Taipei ensured the 28-year-old finished the season in almost the same rank as he started, producing a W/L record of 29-29.
Rinky Hijikata:
Grade: C-
ATP Ranking: No.73
Rinky Hijikata is another Aussie who had a solid 2024 campaign.
After winning his opening two matches of the year in Brisbane, he finished the year with an even record of 29 wins and 29 losses, just like the aforementioned Vukic.
His best result came at Queens on grass, claiming victory over American Frances Tiafoe, before narrowly falling short in the quarter-finals against Sebastian Korda. \
Hijikata also finished the season well thanks to his success back home. He won the Challenger event in Playford and was runner-up to none other than Thanasi Kokkinakis in his final event in Sydney.
The former US Open fourth-round participant has ended 2024 with a ranking of No.73 on the ATP Tour, a ranking that dropped two places from this time last year.
Thanasi Kokkinakis:
Grade: C-
ATP Ranking No.77
2024 was an up-and-down one for Kokkinakis, dropping 12 places in the rankings from where he began the season, but he did have some great moments.
Kokkinakis' best result by a long stretch came at the US Open to topple top-15 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening round to cement his best-ever major match win.
The South Australian claimed two titles on the Challenger tour on different surfaces and finished with a W/L ratio of 28 wins and 18 losses across both tours. He won in Sydney last month and claimed victory earlier in the year on the clay in Sarasota.
Kokkinakis will also look fondly on his Davis Cup record in 2024. He helped the green and gold reach at least the semi-finals for the third consecutive year, winning three out of his four matches, one of which was against world No.21 and big-hitter Ben Shelton.
James Duckworth:
Grade: C
ATP Ranking No.82
The experienced James Duckworth had a great 2024 season as he capped off the year with a W/L record of 31-24, with nine victories coming on the ATP Tour.
Duckworth improved his ranking by a whopping 34 places to finish the season at No.82 in the world. His best period of the year came on the grass where he won 10 matches and suffered five defeats.
The 2020 Olympian also won the Challenger event in Hangzhou, beating American Mackenzie McDonald in the final.
Adam Walton:
Grade: C
ATP Ranking: No.93
2024 proved to be a breakout season for the 25-year-old.
Despite most coming at the Challenger level, Walton won an impressive 44 matches across both tours and finished with a win percentage of just under 60 per cent.
His best results arrived in the form of two titles at the Challenger events in Taipei and his home in Burnie.
The Queenslander enjoyed taking part in all four majors in a calendar year for the first time, also enjoying his maiden victory in a Slam main draw at Wimbledon where he beat fellow top-100 player Federico Coria in the first round.
Walton improved 83 spots on the ATP Rankings this season, so watch out for him in 2025 as he pushes towards the top 75-80 mark.
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