From Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s double act to breakout stars and Jannik Sinner’s future, here’s a look at what to expect from a big year ahead in tennis …
Men’s breakout player of the year: Joao Fonseca
At just 18, Fonseca of Brazil is a spectacular talent who recently landed the ATP Next Gen title. He plays big-boy tennis, unleashing some of the most lethal forehands you have seen since Rafael Nadal was in his prime. Fonseca has still only played a handful of tour-level matches, which helps to explain why his ranking stands at a modest No 145, but I’m betting that tennis-lovers will be a good deal more familiar with his name by the time next Christmas rolls around.
Women’s breakout player of the year: Mirra Andreeva
Another teenager, but one with a contrasting trajectory, as befits the developmental differences between the sexes. Russia’s Andreeva is already a staple in the world’s elite, with a ranking – now No 16 – that just undercuts her age (17). Slightly built, she gives off a similar feeling to the young Martina Hingis, being a cerebral and complete player with the chops to upset bigger and more powerful women. She is good enough to climb at least another ten places on the ladder this season.
Men’s player of the year: Jannik Sinner
Sinner looked absurdly comfortable on hard courts in 2024, losing a mere three of 56 matches – two of them to his leading rival Carlos Alcaraz. He hasn’t quite cracked the code on clay or grass yet, winning only one of his eight titles on the alternative surfaces, but that will surely come. His biggest threat is likely to come from WADA, who have appealed against last year’s doping exoneration. (You may remember that Sinner claimed to have been contaminated with clostebol, a banned steroid, via a massage from his physical trainer.) Most insiders are expecting the Court of Arbitration for Sport to hand out a short suspension, lasting somewhere between one and three months, simply because precedent suggests that CAS usually land on some sort of compromise.
Women’s player of the year: Coco Gauff
Okay, so I made the same prediction last year, and Gauff had a shocking first half of the season by her own high standards. But then she dumped coach Brad Gilbert, and began working with a new mentor – Matt Daly – who wasn’t afraid to suggest technical changes on her serve and forehand. The results came flowing in, most obviously at the WTA Finals, where she defeated both the dominant forces of 2024 – Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka – on her way to a record £3.8m cheque. That victory should provide the perfect jumping-off point for the new year.
Most looking forward to in 2025
It has to be the Statler and Waldorf tribute act we can expect from Murray and Djokovic. With Murray’s dry wit and Djokovic’s urbanity, they will make a brilliant double-header if they can be persuaded to take the stage together in front of the world’s media. For the moment, Murray’s coaching contract only extends until the conclusion of the Australian Open, so here’s hoping for some strong results to extend this juicy collaboration.
Wimbledon men’s champion: Carlos Alcaraz
Well, he’s won it twice in a row in very different circumstances – the first via a nail-biting comeback against Djokovic, the second through a disappointingly tension-free beatdown of the same player – so why not a third time? It is both Alcaraz’s strength and weakness that he is all about the vibe, someone who gets up for the big events but can struggle on the tennis equivalent of a wet Wednesday night at Stoke. And there’s nothing bigger (in a non-Olympic year, anyway) than Wimbledon.
Wimbledon women’s champion: Aryna Sabalenka
After successive titles for downbeat Czechs – Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova – picking a women’s Wimbledon champion is becoming a fool’s errand. We’ve had eight different winners in the last eight years, with the leading contenders coming over all nervy at the wrong times. Still, the fact that Krejcikova emerged from the pack in 2024 might have had something to do with Sabalenka’s withdrawal on the eve of the tournament with a shoulder issue. When injury-free, Sabalenka’s giant serve and blunderbuss groundstrokes should be a good fit for SW19.
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