Yanking off the Band-Aid …
On Nov. 8, I made regrettable remarks on Tennis Channel during a rehearsal that was broadcast live. An apology is here. I spoke a bit about it here. I’ve reached out to the referenced player, who, of course, deserved none of this shabbiness. Graciously and gracefully as ever, she has (her words) already put it behind her. Using that as a guide, I feel better resuming this column.
That doesn’t put an end to taking accountability. I appreciate hearing from so many of you, including those who expressed reasonable disappointment. Anyway, let’s save the usual Q&A and conversation for next week. This week—as was always the plan—a year-end column, handing out awards for 2024 and putting this season in the books.
The votes have been tabulated and certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Without further time delay, the envelopes please.
MVP, men: Jannik Sinner
Two players, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, split the four majors. And Alcaraz won their 2024 head-to-head. But Sinner’s comprehensive tennis, January through November, was superior, as the rankings indicate (Sinner ends the year at No. 1 and Alcaraz at No. 3).
MVP, women: Aryna Sabalenka
This one is easy. Sabalenka won a pair of majors, finished in the ranking penthouse, endured an emotional year and became a stand-in for the proposition that careers are not linear and that even successful veterans can change their approach to the sport and go from very good to great.
Newcomer of the year, men: Gio Mpetshi Perricard
These demarcations are always tough to make, as there are no real “rookies” in tennis. But how about Perricard, 21, who started the year outside the top 200 and, riding his elephant gun of a serve, will be seeded in Australia. Honorable mention to Alex Michelsen who is younger than Coco Gauff and closing in on the top 30.
Newcomer of the Year, women: Diana Shnaider
Again the “newcomer” label isn’t quite accurate. But barely a year removed from college tennis, Shnaider is ranked No.13.
Coach of the Year, women: Anton Dubrov
Unless there are disqualifying circumstances, how is the top coach not the figure who works with the top player? Except in the case of Sabalenka, let’s make it a team award: Anton Dubrov accepts on behalf of trainer Jason Stacy et al.
Coach of the Year, men: Darren Cahill
Same rules. The top player employs the top coach. In this case, it’s Cahill. (Here, the team will, decidedly, not be sharing in the award.)
Honorable mention: Pere Riba
He left the Gauff camp and, days later, landed with Qinwen Zheng who, herself, had recently been spurned by her coach. Zheng reached a major final for the first time, took home an Olympic gold medal and won 31 of 36 matches to close out a smashing year. The player did the work,but the coach deserves recognition.
Most Improved Player, men: Alexei Popyrin
Popyrin wasn’t exactly chopped liver before. But the Aussie nearly halved his ranking this year, now down to No. 24 … and did so winning a Masters 1000 title in Canada and scoring an upset over Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open.
Most Improved Player, women: Jasmine Paolini
The Italian entered the year never having advanced further than the second round of a major. At majors in 2024, she went to back-to-back finals, bookended by two trips to the fourth round, and she finished the year at No. 4 and won almost $6 million.
Comeback Player of the Year, men: Matteo Berrettini
Berrettini is unlucky with injuries, but when he plays, he’s really good. In 42 matches in 2024—which, in itself, must please him—the former top-10 player went 30–12 and won three titles.
Comeback Player of the Year, women: Karolina Muchova
A different twist on “comeback” because one of tennis’s most stylish players had a strong 2023 and ’24. But, in between, she suffered the kind of wrist injury and surgery that has wrecked careers.
Comeback Former-Player of the Year: Andre Agassi
Having retreated from the public eye for many years, Agassi came roaring back in 2024. In Australia. In Europe. In New York. Preaching patience. Preaching pickleball. Full of insight and wry humor, he reminded fans why he was such a magnetic figure when he played—and why he remains singular today.
Strange, winning year, men: Novak Djokovic
Djokovic finished 2023 at No.1, adding three more majors to his haul. In 2024, he won … zero majors. But he captured that Olympic gold medal—and won it heroically—making the year a rousing success.
Strange, winning year, women: Coco Gauff
The winner of 2023’s final major won … zero majors in ’24. Gauff struggled on the same U.S. hardcourts that were so good to her the previous season. She made a coaching change. She can still get in a death match with technical issues and serving issues. And despite all that, she finished the year ranked No. 3, winning three titles and closing out the season in Riyadh, taking both the trophy and nearly $5 million. Her meh year would be a career year for most players.
Best trend: Tennis is hip
Films. Docs. Shorts. Projects in development. Break Point was canceled but, hydra-like, it has sprung so much other content. A global product that includes men and women and all body types projects health. It’s almost like there is some untapped marketing potential here.
Worst trend: Players abusing equipment and officials
Rifling balls into stands. F-bombing chair umpires. Bloodying themselves with self-flagellation after misses. Calm down, everyone.
Rivalry that fizzled: ATP vs. Premier Tour
If Alcaraz-Sinner lived up to the hype, this did not. The ATP (Andrea Gaudenzi) and the Premier Tour (Craig Tiley) were in a classic battle over territory (in this case the ungovernable tennis calendar), a showdown over whose transcendent, transformative business model will win. There remain a lot of possibilities on the table. But for now, the Premier Tour is idling, the ATP and WTA are likely to formalize a joint commercial entity and there will be a 10th Masters 1000—almost surely in Saudi Arabia—in 2027.
Moral Courage Award: Daria Kasatkina
In the same way we made up a category to give Ukrainian heroine Elina Svitolina props in the past, this year, we’ll take Kasatkina.
Shot of the Year, men: Alexander Bublik’s racket toss
It didn’t count, but wow, this is some Ricky Jay stuff.
Shot of the Year, women: Karolina Muchova’s behind-the-back lob
Muchova shows us the most creative way to set up an overhead.
Doubles Team of the Year, men: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic
Again, barring something truly extraordinary, how do you depart from the rankings? Arevalo and Pavic are your winners.
Doubles Team of the Year, women: Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend
She plays with multiple partners but here’s to Siniakova. Her most prominent partner is Townsend.
So long, farewell: Retirements
As a probability/demographics exercise, the same number of players ought to retire each year. But, somehow, 2024 sure saw a sharp spike in tennis sheet cake. Rafa Nadal. Andy Murray. Dominic Thiem. Garbiñe Muguruza. Diego Schwartzman. Shelby Rogers … to all of you, your service (first and second) will be missed.
Best innovation: Replay
There is no reason—at a time when sedans without drivers take us to work—we can’t rely on technology to determine when a player reached a ball on one bounce or two; whether a ball bounced before clearing the net; even whether a footfault was properly cited.
Worst innovation: Two-Week Masters Series
Despite the gushing news releases, the new two-week Masters Series events are a retreat from sanity. The players despise them. (The losers are left to scramble or find shelter for two weeks. The winners devote two weeks—and sacrifice real training—for checks far smaller than the two-week majors.) The fans get watered-down sessions for a watered-up process. No one wins except management.
Tennis Book of the Year: The Racket by Conor Niland
The Racket is tennis’s answer to Fighter by Andy Lee. Who knew Irish athletes were so deft with the pen/keyboard?
Match of the year: Art Donaldson vs. Patrick Zweig
A taut, back-and-forth affair, with considerable nuance, backstory and stakes. But who won the damn match, Guadagnino?
More Tennis on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Handing Out 2024’s End of Year Tennis Awards.
