There are an array of exciting rivalries that will decide who succeeds and who fails in 2024.
These rivalries exist on both the ATP and WTA Tours. Some of the players in these matchups involve players who have already won many Grand Slams, others have recently won their first, and there are also those seeking to win their maiden Grand Slam.
Getting better than their rivals will be essential for these players to achieve their goals in 2024. This article gives five rivalries that are likely to define next season.
5. Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev
Djokovic, who won the European Sportsperson of the Year for the fifth time, has faced Medvedev in three Grand Slam finals. Medvedev toppled the Serbian in the 2021 US Open final, but Djokovic prevailed at the 2021 Australian Open and this year's US Open final.
The rallies are always long and physical between these two ultra-consistent competitors. Medvedev had a strong 2023, and is likely to challenge Djokovic in 2024, especially at the hardcourt tournaments where the 2021 US Open champion excels the most.
4. Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff
The head-to-head between these two stars of the women's game is lopsided in favour of the Pole. Swiatek has beaten the current US Open champion in 9 of their previous 10 meetings, with Gauff's sole win coming this year during her title run in Cincinnati.
22-year-old Swiatek and 19-year-old Gauff are going to be at the top of women's tennis for years to come. It will be interesting to observe whether the confidence from her maiden Grand Slam title can assist the American against Swiatek in 2024. Her improved forehand should certainly help, which the Pole has repeatedly targeted in their previous matches.
3. Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner
The rivalry between these two young stars in the men's game is different to Swiatek and Gauff. The head-to-head is far more balanced, with Sinner narrowly leading 4-3.
These two have contested some epic matches, most infamously their 2022 US Open quarterfinal, which was the latest ever finish to a match at Flushing Meadows. This will be a seminal rivalry on the ATP Tour for many years to come, and could eventually become one of the greatest ever. Expect this excellent duo to meet again in 2024, and it could be in a Grand Slam final for the first ever.
2. Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka
These two had a titanic tussle for the year-end world No. 1 spot in 2023. Sabalenka ended a run of 75 consecutive weeks at No. 1 for Swiatek after the US Open. However, the four-time Grand Slam responded superbly, and a victory against Sabalenka at the WTA Finals saw her regain the No. 1 spot.
The clashes between these two are always fascinating to watch, with Sabalenka's unique firepower seeking to overwhelm the terrific athleticism and complete baseline game of Swiatek. These two are yet to face in a Grand Slam final, but there is a good chance of that changing in 2024.
1. Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
The level of most of the matches between these two in 2023 was breathtaking. They played two outstanding sets in the French Open semifinal, before Alcaraz sadly had to retire with cramp.
The Spaniard then got revenge by winning one of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time in five sets, before Djokovic prevailed in what some consider to be the best Masters 1000 final ever in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz won a recent exhibition against Djokovic. The tennis world will hope for more contests during the season between the pair. It will be a treat to watch if the past is anything to go by.
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