Arthur Fils can end France’s 30-year grand slam drought, while there is a promising new British generation coming through
As 2023 draws to a close, we start to imagine what the new year might hold.
In tennis, there are few certainties – beyond Novak Djokovic almost definitely winning at least two grand slams.
So what of the game’s next generation, so long beckoned to take the torch from ageing greats like Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the now-retired Roger Federer?
i takes a look at the big questions to be asked of the tour’s young stars in 2024.
Who is most likely to win their first grand slam?
It is not impossible that none will, given Djokovic was within a couple of points of winning all four last year and Carlos Alcaraz has graduated from youngster to established star by virtue of adding his second slam at Wimbledon and reaching world No 1.
The only other under-21 in the top 30 is Holger Rune, born just a week before Alcaraz in 2003 but still a little behind the Spaniard in terms of progression.
Not far though, having recorded career-best performances at three out of four slams last year and reaching No 4 in the world.
A difficult summer saw him slip to No 8 but the recruitment of retired six-time grand slam winner Boris Becker as coach seems to have reinvigorated his form. He will arrive in Australia next month full of confidence he can improve on last year’s fourth-round showing.
What about someone outside the top 20?
Our next youngster has no such scar tissue in Melbourne, but also no benefit from experience, such has been his sudden rise up the rankings. Arthur Fils, 19, has never even played qualifying at the Australian Open but could, depending on how the first week of the year goes, find himself seeded at the slam.
It would not be an undeserved spot for the world No 36, who ended 2022 ranked 251 in the world. He has since won a maiden ATP title, triumphing on home clay in Lyon in May, picked up his first wins over top-10 players and won a five-setter at a grand slam, knocking out the No 24 seed in New York. The last achievement has gone some way to dispelling concerns about his staying power, while his ball-striking and athleticism are beyond question.
And on the women’s side, who is going to surprise us?
Rule no one out of winning a slam in the women’s game. Four different players did so across four tournaments this year.
And no one should be that surprised if a confident blonde teenager from Russia does what Maria Sharapova did two decades ago and won a maiden grand slam before her 18th birthday. Mirra Andreeva already won a few hearts at SW19 last year when she came through qualifying to reach the fourth round and within a few points of beating Madison Keys to make the quarter-finals.
She will not turn 17 until April but is already up to 57 in the world, and talks with the poise of someone much older. She does have a temper, narrowly escaping a default at the French Open when she angrily whacked a ball into the crowd against Coco Gauff (who, were she not already US Open champion and world No 3, would be in our ones to watch for 2024 too), and will need to keep that in check if this really is to be her breakout year.