Tennis review 2024: Jannik Dosa, Aryna Sabalenka and Jack Draper up for awards | Tennis News

It’s tennis awards season, so we sit Gigi Salmon, Tim Henman, Laura Robson and Jonathan Overend around the table to debate who will win the top prize in 2024.

There are six categories with winners from the ATP and WTA Tours, so without further ado, let’s get down to handing out the prizes…

WTA Player of the Year

Robertson: Aryna Sabalenka: Winning the Aussie Open, winning the US Open, you can’t ask for more.

Teeth: Sabalenka was number 1 last year for a reason. He is the best player in the world. He is happy on the court and off the court.

Henman: I agree with everything you’ve said…so far!

Overend: It’s Aryna Sabalenka – of course! Who else could there be? The only other candidate is Jasmine Paolini.

ATP Player of the Year

Henman: Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open and the US Open. It was a Grand Slam breakthrough and he was already No. 1 by a reasonable margin.

Overend: How to reach number 1 and then consolidate his position. We will see more than competing with Carlos Alcaraz in 2025. Dosa is far and away at the top of the ranking pile, not only in Grand Slam achievements, but mopping up on the ATP Tour.

To do what he did in the summer with everything going on in his life is very, very impressive.

Teeth: I have also gone to Dosa but the clincher for me is how he handled himself in the summer.

Robertson: I have gone for Alcaraz purely based on the summer that has won the French Open and Wimbledon. And then after that, he reached the Olympic final and he almost went home with the gold medal.

ATP Match of the Year

Overend: It was the Tokyo final between Artur Fils and Ugo Humbert. The Fils defeated No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Holge Rune. He somehow played a live set to win the title.

Robertson: I’m going to fight Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz in the Olympic final. This is the best of the three I have seen in my life. The highlight reel is out of control. They both cried together.

Henman: I’m going for Daniel Evans and Karen Khachanov at the US Open. Evans has won so many matches. He was two sets down and just refused to give up. He was 4-0 down in the fifth with a treble of break points and went on to win six games in a row. This is the longest match in US Open history!

Teeth: I want Alcaraz to beat Sinner in the Beijing final. They really bring out the best in each other.

WTA Match of the Year

Robertson: I’m going to Paolini and Donna Vekic in Wimbledon semi-final – monster match! The other was Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka in the Madrid final.

Teeth: I have also been to Swiatek and Sabalenka in Madrid. I was standing courtside for that and we just kept looking at each other thinking ‘this is incredible, could it be better?’ But it keeps getting better. It’s mind-blowing.

Henman: I love when this rivalry grows in the sport and that is why it is also my choice.

Overend: That’s my choice too. I hope not, but I think it’s the pinnacle of competition.

ATP Point of the Year

Overend: I will give you a game when you can choose one of the winning shots – a ridiculous game between Djokovic and Fritz in the Shanghai semi-final at 2-2.

Robertson: I have gone Fritz and Alexander Zverev in the US Open. I think it’s the fourth game of the second set and it’s a brutal point.

Henman: I have to go with Dosa and Alcaraz from Miami. It looks like an arcade game!

Teeth: I have gone for Hugo Gaston in Antwerp against Alex de Minaur. It has been viewed millions of times.

WTA Point of the Year

Robertson: I’m going to Karolina Muchova in the US Open – shot behind. I am against Katie Volynets.

Henman: Muchova is one of my favorite players to watch. They have variety, so I agree with you.

Teeth: I am on the line of Muchova and Volynets. I hope Muchova stays fit and healthy.

Overend: We need more Taylor Townsend in our discussion. In the middle of the long match she played against Elena Rybakina in Miami. His defense caught up, then a lob followed by a searing forehand winner.

ATP Surprise of the year

Henman: Jacob Fearnley. He’s a top 100 player right now, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Overend: I thought this was the year Zverev was going to break the Grand Slam duck.

Robertson: Dosa drug test. This is what everyone is talking about at the US Open.

Teeth: It’s a bee in Indian Wells!

WTA Surprise of the year

Overend: Jasmine Paolini. The 30-year-old went on to win Dubai, reach the French and Wimbledon finals, and win Olympic doubles gold. He is now tied for a career high of 4.

Teeth: Yes, they are! It’s amazing and I hope they continue to run in 2025.

Robertson: Paolini was the best, but the surprise for me was Lulu Sun making the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

Henman: Sonay Kartal won 250 and broke above 100. I thought that was just brilliant!

The best player

Henman: It’s Jack Draper. I don’t mind singing praises. He really struggled last year due to injuries, but he got some good results to finish 2023, but the way he did it, won the tour title, the first Grand Slam semi in New York.

Robertson: Considering last summer he missed the entire grass court season. He was very upset about it, but now we can see what he can do and he can do it consistently because he is healthy, which has been a good sign and can continue.

Teeth: Jack Draper for me and he is a very good young man.

Coach of the Year

Henman: I’m going for ‘Trotters’ – James Trotman. He was put in a tough spot when things didn’t go well. He showed a wise head to make sure he was moving in the right direction.

Overend: For Jack to say ‘I have only one voice and that voice will be James Trotman’ – says a lot.

There will be live tennis from the ATP Next Gen Finals at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah between December 18-22, before the United Cup 2025 from 2am on December 27 which will be held in Perth and Sydney.