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Novak Djokovic did not waste any time in producing a moment of magic. Flitting left of the tramlines in the first set of his 21st season as a professional, he bent a backhand slice between net post and umpire’s chair for a spectacular, untouchable winner. It was the type of athleticism, resourcefulness and shotmaking that has made him the most successful player of all time.
As a full, ebullient crowd under lights at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane responded, Djokovic’s celebration was even more unusual than the shot; he sprinted across the court to embrace none other than Nick Kyrgios. For a long time, Djokovic and Kyrgios were only mentioned together when the Australian had fired another public, unprovoked insult towards him, yet here they stood as doubles partners on the same side of the net.
This was an appetiser for a new season that, in one way or another, will be defined by how Djokovic performs. Last year, the Serb watched his last remaining great rivals, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, retire while his season was a complicated concoction of triumph and doubt. While Djokovic produced a legendary performance to seal an elusive Olympic gold medal, showing that he is still capable of performing at the highest level, the 37-year-old spent the rest of the year chasing shadows. This year marked the first time since 2006, when he won his first two titles, that Djokovic failed to win multiple titles in a season.
His reaction to the difficulties of last year and the approach of Father Time has been fascinating. In November, Djokovic announced Murray as his new coach and the pair spent 10 days working in Marbella after spending a large part of their lives trying to outsmart each other. Murray will join Djokovic in Melbourne at the Australian Open and they will try to hold off the younger generation for as long as they can.
As Djokovic embraces his unfamiliar role as the hunter, Jannik Sinner will look to consolidate his status as the undisputed best player in the world after producing one of the best seasons of the 21st century. Still, Sinner’s upcoming hearing at the court of arbitration for sport continues to loom over his on-court success after the World Anti-Doping Agency chose to appeal the no fault or negligence ruling in his anti-doping case. The hearing will not take place before February, and a ban for the Italian remains a possibility.
Sinner’s sustained success should serve as motivation for others, none more so than Carlos Alcaraz. While he matched Sinner’s grand slam title count, winning Roland Garros and defending his Wimbledon crown, Alcaraz was also punished throughout the year for his rash, incomposed performances.
Three months after Sinner’s positive test was revealed, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and Iga Swiatek announced she had also failed an anti-doping test. The Pole’s case, however, is relatively straightforward. After testing her medications and supplements, laboratory results showed her melatonin medication, a non-presciption regulated product in Poland and the rest of the EU, was contaminated with the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ). The ITIA’s own tests confirmed this.
Although Swiatek has dominated the women’s game over the past three seasons, she has underachieved at grand slams outside of her remarkable performances at Roland Garros. Alongside her new coach, Wim Fissette, this year she will look to replicate her success at all of the biggest tournaments.
Last year, however, Aryna Sabalenka continued to grow as a player, harnessing her immense power into sustainable, consistent tennis and adding extra dimensions to her game. Their rivalry has already produced some excellent tennis, but the top two are yet to meet in a grand slam final.
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The 2024 season concluded with a dramatic tussle in Riyadh as Coco Gauff, still only 20, won her first WTA Finals, defeating both Swiatek and Sabalenka en route. Not only is Gauff again in pursuit of a second grand slam title, her defeated opponent, the 22-year-old Zheng Qinwen, has entered the fray.
After her breakout Olympic gold medal, an Australian Open final and a brilliant second half of the season, Zheng will pursue a maiden grand slam title. Elena Rybakina will also look to re-establish herself after pulling off the boldest coaching hire on the WTA tour by recruiting Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s former coach.
At the beginning of a new season, enjoyment was the common theme on Monday. As Djokovic smiled throughout their doubles work, in just his second match since 2022, Kyrgios threw in a successful tweener, dummied an underarm serve and navigated the entire evening without once talking down an official. They opened the first full week of the new season by narrowly defeating the German‑Austrian team Andreas Mies and Alex Erler. There will be more to come.
