The Best of 2024
Best of 2024: Which Alcaraz-Sinner duel was the big ATP match of the year?
ATPTour.com reviews the five most spectacular matches of 2024?
November 30, 2024
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By ATP Editorial Board
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the epic battles that most defined the season and will remain etched in fans’ memories for years to come.
At the center of the action were some of the Tour’s most notable players throughout the year: Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz. As part of our annual season review series, ATPTour.com is looking back at the best matches of 2024.
5) United Cup. Final. Zverev v. a Hurkacz 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 6-4
Playing around the country can often bring out the best tennis in a player. Just ask Alexander Zverev and Hubert Hurkacz, who staged a spectacular clash in the final of this year’s groundbreaking United Cup.
Zverev, needing a win to keep Germany alive, rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome Hurkacz and send the final to a deciding mixed doubles match. In the tie-break of the second set, when he was 4/6 facing championship points, Zverev executed a forehand that touched the sideline by millimeters. It was such a decisive moment that it ended up turning the game around.
“I don’t have the slightest idea [de cómo gané]”Zverev said. “I saved a match point by hitting a forehand so close to the line, that’s how tennis works sometimes. You win and lose by millimeters and today I was lucky in a way.”
In a match decided by the slimmest of margins, it was Zverev who kept his cool to secure a vital victory. The German would later return to the court with his partner Laura Siegemund to seal the victory with another impressive victory, starting his 2024 year in strong fashion.
4) Hamburg. The final. Fils v. a Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1)
A title clash between the local favorite and one of the Tour’s brightest prospects was always bound to generate drama, right? In the Hamburg final, Alexander Zverev’s greater experience and local support proved inconsequential as Arthur Fils delivered an impressive performance to secure his first ATP 500 crown.
In the final embers of a fierce three-and-a-half-hour “dogfight,” Fils was bold enough to attempt a down serve at break point at 5-5, electrifying the German crowd under the closed roof. That break point was one of 21 the #NextGenATP star avoided throughout the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, before dominating the decisive tie-break to seal the victory.
“When we closed the roof I knew it was going to be just a fight, like a dog fight,” Fils said. “You just have to fight until the last point, until the last ball. I think that [he estado] “I’ve been practicing for these kinds of moments for a long time, so I’m really happy to win it.”
Fils’ brave win against the then No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the biggest of his career, proved to be a catalyst for his stellar run at ATP 500 level. Including his titles in Hamburg and Tokyo, the Frenchman won 13 matches consecutive to secure the Bonus Pool ATP 500.
3) Monte Carlo. SF. Tsitsipas v. a Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
At the Rolex Monte-Carlos Masters, Stefanos Tsitsipas rarely makes a mistake. In this year’s semi-finals, the two-time champion in the Principality found a fitting way to record his first victory over a Top 3 opponent since 2022, when he overcame Jannik Sinner in a high-quality battle.
Their two hour and 40 minute clash was defined by grueling exchanges from the baseline, which were forced to end with moments of brilliance. Both Tsitsipas and Sinner fired 27 winners throughout the match, but it was the former who chained four consecutive games from 2-4 in the decisive set to complete an epic comeback.
“It was tennis at the highest level I have ever been able to play,” Tsitsipas said. “Jannik was an extremely difficult opponent and you can see it throughout the year so far. “He’s been very consistent and I could see that throughout today with his play.”
Tsitsipas would defeat Casper Ruud in the championship match to claim his third title at the ATP Masters 1000 event, becoming the fifth player to achieve this feat (after Nadal, Borg, Muster and Nastase).
2) Cincinnati. SF. Sinner v. a Zverev 7-6(9), 5-7, 7-6(4)
Sinner entered his semi-final meeting in Cincinnati with former champion Zverev having lost each of their four previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings between them, but the Italian battled through hip soreness to secure a thrilling victory.
In a pendulum-swinging three-hour, seven-minute clash that was delayed by rain in the first set, Sinner showed remarkable resilience to cross the line. Zverev let a one-break lead slip away in the first set and saw two set points escape in the tie-break before Sinner took the lead.
Despite Sinner’s advantage, little separated them and the German counterattacked as the light faded in Cincinnati. Evidently hampered by a hip problem, Sinner mustered the energy to unleash a forehand winner to earn two match points in the deciding set tie-break. He ended up converting on the second try.
“Sometimes you have to play with your intuition a little bit, and I think that was my strong point today,” said Sinner, who captured his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title with his victory over Frances Tiafoe in the final. “There were some ups and downs, which can happen, especially when you play more than three hours. “I think it was a good game for both of us.”
1) Beijing. Final. Alcaraz v. and Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3)
With the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner already packed with spectacular encounters, the final in Beijing was another testament to the quality of their rivalry. In a battle full of forceful blows combined with exquisite touch at the net, the two young stars pushed each other to the limit.
Sinner had established himself as the standout hard-court contender in 2024, but Alcaraz proved a stubborn obstacle for the Italian, who had also won both of their previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings between them. Eager to ruin Sinner’s 16-game winning streak, Alcaraz’s courage and skill came to the fore in an impressive showdown.
After recovering from a one-set deficit and letting a break lead slip away in the final set, it looked like the final was becoming increasingly out of reach for Alcaraz, who trailed 0/3 in the decisive tie-break. However, the Spaniard had other ideas: he chained seven consecutive points to seal a brave victory of three hours and 21 minutes. It was the longest match in the history of the tournament.
“I never lost hope,” Alcaraz said. “I knew that all the tie-breaks that Jannik plays are almost on his side. In the third set, being 3-0 down with two mini breaks for him, I didn’t lose hope, but I thought: ‘Well, I have to give everything I have to try to give myself a chance to be close.’”
The win left Alcaraz leading the Lexus ATP Head2Head 6-4 between them, and marked the first time either of them had won three consecutive matches against the other. However, Sinner’s loss to Alcaraz in Beijing turned out to be his only one in 27 games since Cincinnati, marking a stellar finish to the 2024 season.
Source: https://www.atptour.com/es/news/best-of-2024-atp-matches
