Top five performers in men's singles at Australian Open 2024

Fazeel is a contributor at Khel Now who thrives on the thrill of tense tennis showdowns.

Published at :January 29, 2024 at 3:05 PM

Modified at :February 14, 2024 at 1:55 PM

(Courtesy : ATP World tour)

Australian Open saw first new champion since Stan Wawrinka 2014

Jannik Sinner, the Italian World No. 4, made history by winning the Australian Open 2024 men’s singles title, the first time a new champion emerged since Stan Wawrinka in 2014. He defeated third seed Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in a thrilling final that lasted three hours and 44 minutes. He became the first Italian, male or female, to lift the trophy in the more than century-old Australian Open.

The season’s opening Grand Slam also saw many other remarkable performances, as the seeded players were eliminated at different stages of the tournament. Novak Djokovic failed to meet the expectations, losing in the semifinals and missing out on a record 11th Australian Open title that would have matched Margaret Court. This uneven nature of competitive sports gave the opportunity for new stars to shine over the fortnight.

Emil Ruusuvuori

In 2023, Emil Ruusuvuori led Finland to its maiden Davis Cup final by beating Argentina 3-1. The Finnish underdogs also stunned the defending champions Canada 2-1 in the last eight. Ruusuvuori faced Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open. The Finn had lost both of their previous encounters in straight sets. But this time, he pushed the world number three to a five-set thriller.

Ruusuvuori, a qualifier, showed his skills by breaking the third-seeded Russian with his solid groundstrokes and winning the first two sets. Medvedev fought back and clinched the match in a hard-fought manner – 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-0. Ruusuvuori, however, can be proud of his performance against the two-time Australian Open runner-up in Melbourne.

Alexander Zverev

Zverev started 2024 on a high note, leading Germany to the United Cup title over Poland in the final. Zverev beat Hurkacz and then partnered with Siegemund to overcome Hurkacz and Swiatek in the mixed-doubles event. The German maintained his superb form, reaching the semifinals and dispatching Norrie and Alcaraz in the round of 16 and the quarters. Zverev squandered a two-set lead and lost to Medvedev in their last-four clash and still seeks his first Grand Slam crown.

Zverev replicated his run to the semifinals at the Australian Open as he did at the French Open last year, where he fell to Ruud. Zverev came closest to winning a Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in 2020, losing to Thiem in a fifth-set decider.

Hubert Hurkacz

Big serving Hurckacz served up a record 1031 aces in 2023. The 6’5” Pole is also one of the fastest servers of the game and caused all sorts of problems for Medvedev in their quarterfinal game. The Russian was forced to dig deep, and when he finally raised his arms in victory after another gruelling five-setter, four hours had elapsed. Unfortunately for Hurkacz, the advantage got by his 61 winners was lost by an almost equal number of unforced errors – 55.

It is Medvedev who has the most aces in the 2024 Australian Open at 89 in seven matches to 87 by Hurkacz in 5 matches. Daniil Medvedev moved past Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(4) 2-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 to make the finals of the Australian Open for the third time since 2021. If the Pole had stuck around the ‘pole’ position for the most aces would have gone to him.

Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev, the world number three, had his best chance to claim his second Grand Slam trophy against Sinner and become the first Russian to do so since Safin in 2005. The Italian was a first-time finalist at a major and at the Australian Open. But Medvedev failed to convert his two-set lead and lost his third final at Melbourne to the rookie. The defeat was similar to the 2022 final at the same venue against Nadal, where the Russian also let go of the lead and stayed winless in the Australian Open finals.

Medvedev’s 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 3-6 loss to Sinner was the opposite of the semifinals, where he rallied from two sets down to beat Zverev.

Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner has been one of the most impressive players on the ATP Tour in the past few months, achieving several milestones in his career. He led Italy to its first Davis Cup title in 43 years, playing a crucial role in the historic run.He also won his first Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open, becoming the first Italian man and the youngest player since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to do so. He came back from two sets down to beat world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling final, after stunning Djokovic again in the semifinals. He also beat former champions Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka en route to the title.

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Mohammed Fazeel

Meet Fazeel—a bibliophile and sci-fi aficionado who devours books and movies alike. His favorite form of exercise? Watching tennis from a perfectly positioned couch. Whether he's lost in a gripping novel or absorbed in a five-hour Grand Slam final, he's all in. Favorite quote: “You cannot be serious” – John McEnroe.