Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited return, Ons Jabeur’s Grand Slam bid, Paris Olympics Games – 24 questions for 2024

As 2024 approaches, we are left wondering what might happen in the 365-odd days ahead.

Will we see more of the same as we did in 2023? Or will there be new faces making headlines and winning titles?

Here are the 24 questions we have ahead of the 2024 tennis season…

Novak Djokovic has just had the most successful three-year Grand Slam period in his career, winning seven of the last 10 he has entered. A record-breaking 25th major in 2024 looks more than likely, but 26? 27? 28??

Rafael Nadal will make his return in Australia, but the most intriguing part of what looks to be his final season on tour will surely be on clay. He will be desperate to be in the best shape possible for a tilt at another French Open title, and then medalling for Spain at the Olympics, which is also held at Roland-Garros.

There’s also the question of whether this will be Nadal’s final season on tour.

The only thing missing from Jannik Sinner’s dream finish to the 2023 season was winning the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 22-year-old took a huge step forward as he won two of three matches against Djokovic, handed out losses to Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev (three times), and lifted the Davis Cup.

Voted the ATP’s Most Improved Player for 2023, the next challenge for Sinner is to reach his first Grand Slam final.

Nick Kyrgios had a brilliant summer in 2022 when he played the best tennis of his career, but then only played once in 2023. What’s in store in 2024?

Neither Stefanos Tsitsipas or Felix Auger-Aliassime will probably look back on their 2023 seasons too fondly. Tsitsipas won a title but didn’t really come close again to the same level he did when he made the Australian Open final in January. Auger-Aliassime suffered a big dip in form as he went 23-19, and he will be eager to get back to his best.

Three more Grand Slam quarter-finals in 2023, three more defeats. Andrey Rublev is now 0-9 in the last eight at majors. Will it be 10th time lucky? Or will the streak continue?

In 2023, Ben Shelton’s highlights were making the Australian Open quarters, US Open semis and winning his first ATP title in Tokyo. Outside of those three events he only won 12 matches. He might be looking for a better-rounded season in 2024, that includes a couple of deep Grand Slam runs.

The last time Djokovic played Indian Wells and the Miami Open was in 2019. He missed both Masters events this year as he was unable to enter the USA due to being unvaccinated, but entry rules have now changed.

Will the ATP No. 1 ranking be fought between Djokovic and Alcaraz again? And will it be Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka battling for WTA No. 1? Or will new names enter the fray?

The Olympics have produced some unexpected results in tennis in recent years. There will be some intriguing plotlines as Serbia’s Djokovic goes for his first gold, Nadal and Alcaraz potentially team up for Spain, and Poland’s Swiatek looks to shine again on clay.

Iga Swiatek had a very good 2023 season. Perhaps not quite as dazzlingly good as her 2022 campaign, but still very good.

She finished the year by showing she is still the one to beat with her emphatic display at the WTA Finals. Now she looks to follow that and stack up a third superb season in a row.

Aryna Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam title in 2023 and got to world No. 1. She was so close to more major success, losing in two semi-finals, including a crushing loss to Karolina Muchova at the French Open, and the US Open final. She could be the biggest challenger to Swiatek if she can power up again.

It’s now three Grand Slam final defeats over the last two years for Ons Jabeur. Can she get over the hurdle this season?

Emma Raducanu’s comeback will start in Auckland. It’s been eight months since the 2021 US Open champion played competitively and she is now ranked at No. 299 in the world. It will be intriguing to see what level she is at in January.

But having not played since September 2022, and after giving birth earlier this year, how long will it take before Osaka can expect to return to her top level?

Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki are both former Australian Open winners, and are both now mothers as they return to the Grand Slam in January.

Kerber hasn’t played since Wimbledon 2022 while Wozniacki came out of retirement in the summer and impressed in making the last 16 of the US Open.

Mirra Andreeva, 16, soared in 2023 as she rose from No. 405 in the world rankings to No. 46. Can any young players follow her trajectory next year on the ATP or WTA tours?

After her US Open success and brilliant hard-court summer, Coco Gauff will be expected to contend for more big titles in 2024. She no longer has coach Pere Riba on her team, but has Brad Gilbert to continue to hone the aggressive approach that worked so well in the summer.

Jessica Pegula has been making strides forward over the last two years, but going beyond a Grand Slam quarter-final has eluded her. Her record in Slam quarters is 0-6 after losing in two more in 2023. She has the game and the confidence now to go further.