<h3>Auger-Aliassime wins Adelaide International</h3>
<p>Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime will take plenty of momentum into the Australian Open after winning the Adelaide International on Saturday morning. The Montreal-native defeated American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the final tune-up before the season’s first Grand Slam.</p>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/auger-aliassime-wins-adelaide-title-for-dream-start-to-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Auger-Aliassime Wins Adelaide Title for Dream Start to 2025 </strong></a></p>
<p>The 24-year-old put together a strong tournament in Adelaide, beating Arthur Cazaux, Marcos Giron, and the tournament’s top seed, American Tommy Paul before beating the second-seeded Korda in the final.</p>
<p>Adelaide marks the sixth ATP singles title of Auger-Aliassime’s career and the first on outdoor hard courts.<br /></p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p4cdU0pUV60" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<h3><strong><strong><strong>Canadians kick off Australian Open</strong></strong></strong></h3>
<p>Leylah Annie Fernandez got the Canadian contingent off to a good start at the Australian Open, winning her first-round match against Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-5, 6-4. The 30th-seeded Fernandez will face off against Spain's Cristina Bucsa in second-round action on Tuesday.</p>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/fernandez-hangs-on-for-opening-win-at-australian-open/"><strong>Fernandez Hangs On for Opening Win at Australian Open</strong></a></p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9t8uktQhOyw" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Auger-Aliassime kept his momentum going in the first round at Melbourne Park, beating Jan Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 early Monday morning. He will take on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round. </p>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/auger-aliassime-carries-momentum-to-australian-open-beats-struff-in-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Auger-Aliassime Carries Momentum to Australian Open, Beats Struff in Opener</strong></a></p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wyvKIhCuhcg" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/monday-digest-canadians-opening-2025-with-big-results/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here for more news about Canadian tennis players.</a></strong></p>
<h3><strong><strong>Monfils becomes oldest player to win ATP singles title</strong></strong></h3>
<p>French veteran Gael Monfils became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour singles title when he defeated Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 to win the ASB Classic on Saturday.</p>
<p>Monfils captured the 13th title of his career at 38 years and 132 days, surpassing the previous record holder, Roger Federer, who won the final tour title of his career at 38 years and 74 days in 2019.</p>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2025/wta-power-rankings-sabalenka-eyeing-three-peat-australian-open" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>WTA Power Rankings: Sabalenka Eyeing Three-Peat at Australian Open</strong></a></p>
<p>“I love tennis. I love what I’m doing so of course all the sacrifices you do, they are a little bit easier. When you love something, it’s easier to keep pushing," Monfils said following the victory. “I’ve been enjoying myself since the first day I played tennis and (at) 60 years old I will still have this joy. Practice, it’s easy. It’s in the DNA. Stay in shape, it’s easy. It’s more the travel.”</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/79H7iahx-D0" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<h4>All winners from last week:</h4>
<p>WTA 500 Adelaide</p>
<ul><li>Singles Champion: Madison Keys (1/9)</li><li>Doubles Champions: Hanyu Guo/Alexandra Panova</li></ul>
<p>ATP 250 Adelaide</p>
<ul><li>Singles Champion: Félix Auger-Aliassime (1/6)</li><li>Doubles Champions: Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori</li></ul>
<p>ATP 250 Auckland</p>
<ul><li>Singles Champion: Gael Monfils (1/13)</li><li>Doubles Champions: Nikola Metkic/Michael Venus</li></ul>
<p>WTA 250 Hobart:</p>
<ul><li>Singles Champion: McCartney Kessler (1/2)</li><li>Doubles Champions: Xinyu Jiang/Fang Hsien Wu</li></ul>
<p>*(Titles in 2025/Career Titles)</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em><em><strong><em>The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open July 27 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/toronto/toronto-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></em></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>The WTA's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at IGA Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/montreal/montreal-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak</p>

This Week in Tennis: The Australian Open Begins

<p>With his first Masters 1000 title, the current No.62 will move up in the rankings to No.23. </p>
<p>Not only was his play practically perfect, Popyrin made the most of the opportunities he got from Rublev, who was way out of his comfort zone.  </p>
<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/granollers-zeballos-reign-supreme-doubles" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Granollers and Zeballos reign supreme in doubles</a></strong></p>
<p>Rublev got things started by dropping the first seven points and giving Popyrin a 2-0 lead. What happened to Rublev? It was one of two things: he was half asleep or the stakes were too high. It’s happened before. He’s disappeared from four Slam quarterfinals and has never won a Masters 1000 on a hard court. </p>
<p>It’s a crack he’s talked openly about. He’s an ultra-emotional player who hasn’t yet learned to access his best tennis in high-pressure situations.  </p>
<p>After giving away two breaks in the first set, Rublev found himself down 1-3 in the second. Then, a sudden burst of energy helped him break back and even things out. </p>
<p><strong>READ: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/catching-up-acclaimed-musician-tennis-fan-alexandra-streliski" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Catching up with acclaimed musician and tennis fan Alexandra Stréliski</a></strong><br /><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Popyrin stays the course</strong></p>

<p>The reversal of fortune didn’t last. He was broken again and had trouble handling his rival’s laser-focused shots. A string of errors then put the match beyond his reach. </p>
<p>The numbers don’t lie. In the end, Popyrin racked up 72 points, 10 aces and 3 double faults versus 54 points, 4 aces and 5 double faults for his opponent. </p>
<p>Alexei Popyrin adds the most prestigious title of his career to the two ATP 250 championships already in his trophy case. For his efforts and the surprise he caused, he’ll pocket US$1,040,460, while Rublev will have to make do with US$573,090.</p>
<p><em>Featured photo by: Pascal Ratthé</em></p>

Peroni

Tournament News

NBO Results

Peroni Refresh: Alexei Popyrin’s extraordinary feat!

<p>Now he and the rest of the ATP Tour are back in Melbourne and the landscape feels completely different from a year ago. Rather than wondering “is a new generation ready to wrestle control of the tour away from Novak Djokovic?” the question on people’s minds is “can anyone challenge Jannik Sinner at a big hard-court event?” </p>
<p>The National Bank Open Power Rankings are back for 2025 and in the first ranking of the year, we examine who is best positioned to challenge the Italian star at the year’s first major. </p>
<h3>1. Jannik Sinner </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 1</li><li>2024 Record: 73-6</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Champion (2024) </li></ul>
<p>Jannik Sinner’s 2024 dominance was historic. It was the third-best season ever on hard courts. His 94.6 per cent winning percentage, a 53-3 record, trailed only Roger Federer in 2005 and 2006. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/b90INDbXX7Y" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The world number one started the year by winning his first major at the Australian Open and never really let up on the hard courts. In 2024 he won both hard court majors, three Masters 1000s, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup on the surface.  </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sinner-takes-torch-best-atp-stories-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sinner Takes the Torch - Best ATP Stories of 2024</a></strong></p>
<p>He also enters 2025 on a 14-match winning streak and is 29-1 since the National Bank Open last August. Sinner has been the best hard-court player in the world for a while now and, especially as defending champion, he is the clear favourite in Melbourne. </p>
<h3>2. Carlos Alcaraz </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 3</li><li>2024 Record: 54-13</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Quarter-Final (2024) </li></ul>
<p>Although Jannik Sinner dominated the tour on hard courts in 2024, he did have one problem, and that problem’s name was Carlos Alcaraz. </p>
<p>Two of the Italian’s three defeats on the surface were to the four-time major champion. Alcaraz also won their French Open semifinal on clay to go 3-0 overall against Sinner in 2024. If there is anyone who can stop the world No. 1 in Melbourne, is it probably the electric Spaniard. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Kv_obyZNKl4" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Alcaraz has extra motivation going into the Australian Open. A title would make him the youngest player ever to complete the career Grand Slam.</p>
<h3>3. Alexander Zverev </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 2</li><li>2024 Record: 69-21</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Semifinal (Twice) </li></ul>
<p>Despite not winning a major, Alexander Zverev managed to finish 2024 as the No. 2 player in the ATP Rankings courtesy of two Masters 1000 titles, including near season’s end in Paris, a runner-up appearance at Roland-Garros, and the second-most match wins on tour behind only Sinner. </p>
<p><strong>Read also : <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2025/wta-power-rankings-sabalenka-eyeing-three-peat-australian-open" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WTA Power Rankings - Sabalenka Eyeing Three-Peat at Australian Open</a></strong></p>
<p>When healthy, Zverev has always been hyper-consistent and a safe bet to reach the later stages of big tournaments. Last year, he was just a set away from the final in Melbourne and was as close as two points in the fourth set tiebreak of his semifinal against Daniil Medvedev.  </p>
<h3>4. Novak Djokovic </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 7</li><li>2024 Record: 37-9</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Champion (10 times) </li></ul>
<p>For the first time in a long time, Novak Djokovic arrives at the Australian not the heavy favourite to win the title. He is coming off his worst season in over a decade where he only won one title (albeit the one he coveted most at the Olympics) and did not win a major for the first time since 2017.  </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/d8ICgsnZHrU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The Serbian called it a season in early October last year after losing to Sinner in the Shanghai final and only just returned to action last week in Brisbane. That result was hardly encouraging as he was blown away by Reilly Opelka in the quarter-finals. </p>
<p>All that being said, this is Djokovic at the Australian Open. No man has dominated at Melbourne Park like the Serbian, who has more than twice as many titles as the next best players (Federer and Andre Agassi both have four to Djokovic’s 10). He knows how to win here and Djokovic has a penchant for defying expectations. </p>
<h3>5. Taylor Fritz </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 4</li><li>2024 Record: 53-23</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Quarter-final (2024) </li></ul>
<p>At the final major of 2024, Taylor Fritz reached his first Grand Slam singles final on home soil at the US Open. Now he will be looking to take the next step in Melbourne.  </p>
<p><strong>Read also : <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2025/this-week-tennis-road-australian-open" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This Week in Tennis - Road to the Australian Open</a></strong></p>
<p>2024 was a big year for the American No. 1. He reached the fourth round or better at all four majors and added a pair of Masters 1000 semifinals, including late in the season in Shanghai. He has been making steady progress over the last few years and is now a solid contender at every tournament he enters. </p>
<p>Fritz also is off to a strong start to 2025, going 4-1 at the United Cup and helping the United States to the title.  </p>
<h3>6. Daniil Medvedev </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 5</li><li>2024 Record: 46-21</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Runner-up (Three times) </li></ul>
<p>Among active players, only Novak Djokovic has reached more Grand Slam men’s singles finals and men’s singles finals at the Australian Open than Daniil Medvedev.  </p>
<p>While 2024 was a down year for Medvedev, with his win total on hard courts being his lowest in a full season (2020 excluded) since 2017, he remains one of the best and most reliable players on the surface on tour. Even in a down year, he reached the quarter-finals or better at both hard court majors and at three Masters 1000s. </p><figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12253801/Screenshot-2025-01-09-153514.webp" alt="" /></figure>
<p>He has been particularly strong in Melbourne, having reached three of the last four finals at the Australian Open. Although he has yet to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, he has been a set away twice, leading two sets to love in both the 2022 and 2024 finals.</p>
<p><strong>Read also : <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/2024-atp-awards-nbo-power-rankings-panels-version" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 ATP Awards - NBO Power Rankings Panel’s Version</a></strong></p>
<p>Also, congratulations to Daniil and his wife Daria Chernyshkova on the birth of their second child, which Medvedev announced on Jan. 7. It could be worth noting that when his first child was born in October 2022, Medvedev won the first tournament he played as a new father. </p>
<h3>7. Alex de Minaur </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 8</li><li>2024 Record: 47-21</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Fourth Round (three times) </li></ul>
<p>“The Demon” made a jump in 2024, entering the Top 10 for the first time in his career and qualified for the ATP Finals. While injuries limited him in the second half of the season, he was one of the best players on tour when playing in the big events. </p>
<p>De Minaur reached at least the round of sixteen in all but one “big” tournament (Grand Slam and Masters 1000) that he entered in 2024, including making the quarter-finals at three of the four majors. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hOJub8Q3nIs" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The one major where the speedy Aussie has yet to reach the last eight is his home slam, where he has fallen in the round of sixteen for three straight years. He is already off to a quick start in 2025, winning both of his matches at the United Cup in straight sets. </p>
<h3>8. Grigor Dimitrov </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 10</li><li>2024 Record: 46-18</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Semifinal (2017) </li></ul>
<p>2024 was a renaissance year for the former world No. 3. Dimitrov reached a pair of Grand Slam quarter-finals, his first trip to the last eight of a major since 2021 and the first time in a decade that he did it at two Slams in the same year, while also reaching the final of the Masters 1000 event in Miami.  </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8sURU9bssQc" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>His quarter-final at Roland-Garros added him to the list of players to reach the last eight at all four majors. Both his overall record and year-end ranking were his best since 2017. </p>
<p>The Australian Open has historically been Dimitrov’s best major, with three quarter-finals and a semifinal appearance on his record, making it the only major where he has reached the last eight more than twice. </p>
<h3>9. Casper Ruud </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 6</li><li>2024 Record: 51-25</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Fourth Round (2021) </li></ul>
<p>Casper Ruud bounced back nicely last year after a down season in 2023, winning a pair of titles and clambering back into the Top 10. While Ruud has historically had his best results on clay, he has reached a Grand Slam final on hard courts before at the US Open in 2022 and reached the quarter-finals of Indian Wells and semifinals of the ATP Finals on hard courts last year. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/five-canadians-face-tricky-paths-at-australian-open-draw-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Five Canadians Face Tricky Paths at Australian Open</a></strong></p>
<p>While Norway went out in the group stage of the United Cup, it was not for lack of results from Ruud, who won both of his singles matches over two opponents who thrive on quick surfaces, Tomas Machac and Hubert Hurkacz. </p>
<h3>10. Andrey Rublev </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 9</li><li>2024 Record: 43-26</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Quarter-final (three times) </li></ul>
<p>Will 2025 be the year when Andrey Rublev finally breaks the quarter-final curse?  </p>
<p>The perennial Top 10 player has reached 10 quarter-finals at Grand Slam events, including three of the last four years at the Australian Open, but has fallen short of the semis each time.  </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4NSlAnETrRg" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Early in 2024 it seemed like Rublev might be primed to finally break through, only for his season to turn into a rollercoaster that included multiple month-long losing streaks but also included a pair of Masters 1000 finals, including a title in Madrid.  </p>
<p>There is no doubt that Rublev has the game and intensity to make a run, it’s just a question of putting it all together at the right time. </p>
<p><em>The National Bank Open Power Rankings are a group collaboration by the Power Rankings Panel which includes:</em></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/peteb93.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Borkowski</a> – Manager of Editorial and Player Coverage, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/boydmel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa Boyd</a> – Content Writer, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ChampagneSJade" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah-Jade Champagne</a> – Content Specialist, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://x.com/JChan_811" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jonathan Chan</a> - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/EddieJonesLee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edward Lee</a> – Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/hulight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hugues Leger</a> – Producer, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li><a href="https://x.com/Charobillardmi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charlotte Robillard-Millette</a> – Communications Coordinator, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/SanterreAbraham" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abraham Santerre</a> – Content Creator, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li>Patrick Steski - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li></ul>
<h3>Australian Open 2024 Predictions </h3>
<p><em>Champion: </em></p>
<ul><li>Pete: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Mel: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Abraham: Carlos Alcaraz </li><li>Eddie: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Jonathan: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Pat: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Charlotte: Jannik Sinner </li><li>Hugues: Jannik Sinner </li></ul>








<p><em>Dark Horse: </em></p>
<ul><li>Pete: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard </li><li>Mel: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard </li><li>Abraham: Jiri Lehecka </li><li>Eddie: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard </li><li>Jonathan: Ben Shelton </li><li>Pat: Nick Kyrgios </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Sebastian Korda </li><li>Charlotte: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard </li><li>Hugues: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard </li></ul>








<p><em>Bold Prediction: </em></p>
<ul><li>Pete: Novak Djokovic will not reach the quarter-finals. </li><li>Mel: Alex de Minaur will reach the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career at this home major. </li><li>Abraham: Joao Foncesca, the 2024 NextGen ATP Finals Champion, will reach the second week in Melbourne. </li><li>Eddie: Daniil Medvedev will bow out in week one. </li><li>Jonathan: Novak Djokovic’s quest for an 11th Australian Open will end in round three. </li><li>Pat: Denis Shapovalov reached his first Grand semi since 2021. </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Nick Kyrgios will reach the quarter-finals. </li><li>Charlotte: Grigor Dimitrov will reach the semis. </li><li>Hugues: Novak Djokovic is eliminated in the first week, while Nick Kyrgios reaches the second week. </li></ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em><em><strong><em>The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open July 27 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/toronto/toronto-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></em></em></strong></p>
<p>Feature Photo : </p>

Experts

ATP Power Rankings: Sinner Looks to Stay Dominant at Australian Open

<p>No other tour-based sport starts the year with as much of a bang as tennis does with the Australian Open. And no player is likely happier about that than Aryna Sabalenka, who kicked off each of her last two seasons in style by lifting the trophy in Melbourne. </p>
<p>Can she make it three in a row? The National Bank Open Power Rankings are back to size up the field as the 2025 season kicks into high gear at the Australian Open. </p>
<h3>1. Aryna Sabalenka </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 1</li><li>2024 Record: 56-14</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Champion (twice) </li></ul>
<p>Aryna Sabalenka was the Queen of the Hard Courts in 2024, winning both majors on the surface and a pair of WTA 1000 titles. It’s been apparent for several years that the big-hitting 26-year-old is at her best on fast surfaces, but last year she was THE player to beat. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kLdkTzDbXVE" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The world No. 1 arrives in Melbourne already with a victory under her belt, having just won the title in Brisbane. Dating back to Cincinnati, she is 28-3 overall, with two of those three losses coming at the end of what must have been an exhausting season at the WTA Finals. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sabalenka-cements-top-dog-status-best-wta-stories-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sabalenka Cements Top Dog Status - Best WTA Stories of 2024</a></strong></p>
<p>Sabalenka has lost just one set in the last two years in Melbourne. How can you bet against the two-time defending champion? </p>
<h3>2. Coco Gauff </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 3</li><li>2024 Record: 54-17</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Semifinal (2024) </li></ul>
<p>Arguably the most in-form player in the world right now is not actually the world No. 1. </p>
<p> Coco Gauff will arrive in Melbourne on a nine-match winning streak. She finished 2024 with a bang by winning the WTA Finals, beating Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek en route, and picked up where she left off to start 2025, not dropping a set as she led the United States to victory at the United Cup. Her run included wins over Swiatek, Karolina Muchova, Donna Vekic and <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/auger-aliassime-fernandezs-big-wins-not-enough-for-canada-at-united-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leylah Annie Fernandez.</a> </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y1eae6wrP9Q" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>It seems over the last few months that the 20-year-old has refound her top level after a difficult summer. The former US Open champion reached the semifinals last year in Melbourne and should be full of confidence heading into the first major of 2025. </p>
<h3>3. Iga Swiatek </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 2</li><li>2024 Record: 64-9</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Semifinal (2022) </li></ul>
<p>To say it has been a tough few months for Iga Swiatek would be an understatement. Between losing her grip on the No. 1 ranking, a coaching change, and a suspension for a failed drug test, the Pole is dealing with a lot right now. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/five-canadians-face-tricky-paths-at-australian-open-draw-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Five Canadians Face Tricky Paths at Australian Open</a></strong></p>
<p>Even though she was surpassed in the rankings by Sabalenka in 2024, Swiatek still managed to win her fifth major and added four WTA 1000 titles, two of them on hard courts.  </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/iL2u-G2GljM" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Her one event so far in 2025 was the United Cup, where on the one hand she scored an impressive victory over nemesis Elena Rybakina but lost for the second time in a row to Gauff, a rivalry the Pole has historically dominated. The Australian Open has also been Swiatek’s toughest major over the last two years, so it is hard to know what to expect from the 23-year-old. </p>
<h3>4. Elena Rybakina </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 6</li><li>2024 Record: 43-11</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Runner-up (2023) </li></ul>
<p>Rybakina came out swinging to start 2025 with three dominant victories at the United Cup before running into Swiatek.  </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/2024-wta-awards-nbo-power-rankings-panels-version" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 WTA Awards - NBO Power Rankings Panel’s Version</a></strong></p>
<p>The calculus with the Kazakhstani is pretty simple: when she is healthy, she is one of the best players in the world, but staying fully fit has been a challenge for her. 2024 was full of injury withdrawals for Rybakina but she still managed to reach the finals of Doha and Miami as well as the Wimbledon semifinals, while picking up three titles at the 500 and 250 level. </p>
<p>With her big serve and powerful groundstrokes, she is someone nobody wants to face because if she is healthy... good luck. </p>
<h3>5. Qinwen Zheng </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 5</li><li>2024 Record: 50-18</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Runner-up (2024) </li></ul>
<p>Qinwen Zheng returns to where it all began. 2024 was a breakthrough season for the young Chinese, who kicked things off by reaching the Australian Open final and went on to reach the finals of both the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan and the WTA Finals while claiming the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. She finished with a career-best 50 match wins and a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Zu_6wtDU6yU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Now comes the harder part: improving on those results.  </p>
<p>The good news is Zheng should be confident returning to the site of her breakthrough in Melbourne after finishing the season strong at the WTA Finals. </p>
<h3>6. Jessica Pegula </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 7</li><li>2024 Record: 41-17</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Quarter-final (Three times) </li></ul>
<p>Jessica Pegula finally broke through at a major in 2024, reaching the US Open final after losing her first six quarter-finals at Grand Slam events. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/catching-up-with-toronto-champion-how-rest-2024-went-jessica-pegula" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Catching Up With the Toronto Champion - How the Rest of 2024 Went for Jessica Pegula</a></strong></p>
<p>Three of those losses were in Melbourne, which on the bright side are her most quarter-finals at any major. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LLt5R3Zea8M" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The American struggled in the first half of last season but picked things up in the summer, where she reached all three big finals and <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/recapitulatif-de-la-journee/2024/cashmere-wrap-jessica-pegula-defends-her-national-bank-open-title-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defended her title in Canada at the National Bank Open</a>. If she’s healthy, she will be looking for even more at the Australian Open. </p>
<h3>7. Jasmine Paolini </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 4</li><li>2024 Record: 39-21</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Fourth round (2024) </li></ul>
<p>It felt like Jasmine Paolini came out of nowhere last season. Starting the year on the edge of the Top 30, she made an early statement by winning the WTA 1000 title in Dubai, just her second career title and by far the biggest, and then backed it up by reaching consecutive Grand Slam finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/wta-the-flower-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WTA Flower of the Year - Jasmine Paolini</a></strong></p>
<p>Paolini also finished the year with a bang, helping Italy claim the Billie Jean King Cup title. The Italian proved in 2024 that she can play with the best and that under no circumstances should she be underestimated, especially in big tournaments. </p>
<h3>8. Karolina Muchova </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 21</li><li>2024 Record: 21-7</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Semifinal (2021) </li></ul>
<p>Karolina Muchova only started her season in June last year and it took some time for her to get going. But once the former Roland-Garros runner-up hit her stride, she was mighty impressive. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/khnZ2zBoSQo" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The Czech reached the semifinals or better at her last three tournaments of 2024, including the US Open and the final of the WTA 1000 in Beijing. Players she beat during those events include Paolini, Sabalenka, and Zheng. She also scored another win over Paolini at the United Cup earlier this month. </p>
<p>If Muchova is still just working her way back from injury, watch out. </p>
<h3>9. Mirra Andreeva </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 15</li><li>2024 Record: 34-16</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Fourth Round (2024) </li></ul>
<p>At just 17 years old, Mirra Andreeva is already firmly entrenched in the Top 20 of the WTA rankings with plenty of room to grow. Last year, she reached the semifinals of a major for the first time at Roland-Garros, beating Sabalenka in the process, and got to the quarter-finals of three WTA 1000 events. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2025/this-week-tennis-road-australian-open" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This Week in Tennis - Road to the Australian Open</a></strong></p>
<p>The youngster kicked off her 2025 season with a semifinal run in Brisbane, losing to the world No. 1 in the final four, and now heads to Melbourne for just the second time. She reached the last sixteen in her debut last year. The sky really feels like the limit for the teen phenom. </p>
<h3>10. Paula Badosa </h3>
<ul><li>Actual Ranking: 12</li><li>2024 Record: 37-19</li><li>Best Australian Open Result: Fourth round </li></ul>
<p>Injuries plagued Badosa in 2023 and it took her some time in 2024 to start finding her form. But over the summer, the former world No. 2 started to look like her old self again. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8XRI_rJu_mc" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>She won her first title in over two years in Washington and backed it up by reaching the semifinals of Cincinnati and the quarter-finals of the US Open. Overall, she reached the quarter-finals or better at five of her last six tournaments of the year, including back-to-back semifinals to finish off 2024. </p>
<p>While she lost a three-setter in her season opener in Brisbane, Badosa will be looking to continue to build on the momentum she finished 2024 with. </p>
<p><em>The National Bank Open Power Rankings are a group collaboration by the Power Rankings Panel which includes:</em></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/peteb93.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Borkowski</a> – Manager of Editorial and Player Coverage, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/boydmel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa Boyd</a> – Content Writer, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ChampagneSJade" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah-Jade Champagne</a> – Content Specialist, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://x.com/JChan_811" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jonathan Chan</a> - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/EddieJonesLee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edward Lee</a> – Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/hulight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hugues Leger</a> – Producer, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li><a href="https://x.com/Charobillardmi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charlotte Robillard-Millette</a> – Communications Coordinator, Tennis Canada </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/SanterreAbraham" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abraham Santerre</a> – Content Creator, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li>Patrick Steski - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li></ul>
<h3>2025 Australian Open Predictions </h3>
<p><em>Champion: </em></p>
<ul><li>Pete: Aryna Sabalenka </li><li>Mel: Coco Gauff </li><li>Abraham: Iga Swiatek </li><li>Eddie: Aryna Sabalenka </li><li>Jonathan: Aryna Sabalenka </li><li>Pat: Coco Gauff </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Aryna Sabalenka </li><li>Charlotte: Aryna Sabalenka </li><li>Hugues: Aryna Sabalenka </li></ul>
<p><em>Dark Horse: </em></p>
<ul><li>Mel: Ons Jabeur </li><li>Abraham: Clara Tauson </li><li>Eddie: Leylah Annie Fernandez </li><li>Pat: Maria Sakkari </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Diana Shnaider </li><li>Charlotte: Katie Boulter </li></ul>
<p><em>Bold Prediction: </em></p>
<ul><li>Pete: There will be at least a seven-year age gap between the finalists </li><li>Mel: Ons Jabeur will reach her first Australian Open quarter-final since 2020. </li><li>Abraham: Paula Badosa will back up her US Open quarter-final last year, repeating the feat at the Australian Open. </li><li>Eddie: Rybakina will be upset in the second round. </li><li>Jonathan: Andreeva reaches the semis (beating Sabalenka in the quarter-final) </li><li>Pat: Coco Gauff wins both the singles AND doubles titles. </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Aryna Sabalenka becomes the first woman since Martina Hingis in the late '90s to three-peat at the Australian Open. </li><li>Charlotte: Mirra Andreeva reaches the semis. </li></ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>The WTA's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at IGA Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/montreal/montreal-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak</p>

WTA Power Rankings: Sabalenka Eyeing Three-Peat at Australian Open

<h3>Canadians Tune-Up for Melbourne</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Several Canadians hit the court last week to prepare for the Australian Open. Qualifying began on Sunday, Jan. 5 while the main draw will get underway on Sunday, Jan. 12. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Denis Shapovalov fell in his first tuneup match to Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-3 in the first round at the Hong Kong Open on New Year’s Eve. Nishikori would reach the final but fall to Alexandre Muller 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cKHZSf946vs" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p dir="ltr">Shapovalov took on J.J. Zhang in the first round of the Adelaide International and took the match 6-3, 6-4. He is scheduled for his second-round matchup on Tuesday.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Félix Auger-Aliassime received a bye to the round of 16 in Adelaide as the tournament’s No. 5 seed.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/auger-aliassime-fernandezs-big-wins-not-enough-for-canada-at-united-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Auger-Aliassime, Fernandez’s Big Wins Not Enough for Canada at United Cup</strong></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Leylah Annie Fernandez qualified for the first round at the Adelaide International, defeating Jodie Anna Burrage and Irina-Camelia Begu en route to the main draw. However, the 22-year-old dropped her first-round match to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 on Sunday evening. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Rebecca Marino won her first match at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, upsetting No. 4 Lulu Sun in the first round. She was unable to carry the momentum into the second round, falling to Bernarda Pera 7-6 (2), 6-4. Clara Tauson won the tournament in over Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the final due to injury after taking the opening set 6-4.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/monday-digest-first-wins-of-2025-under-canadians-belts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here for more news about Canadian tennis players.<br /></a></strong></p>
<h3>Djokovic ousted in Brisbane, Sabalenka takes home title</h3>
<p dir="ltr">World No. 293 Reilly Opelka made waves at the Brisbane International last week by upsetting world No. 7 Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. The hard-serving American would reach the final but was forced to retire partway through the first set due to a back injury, handing the title to Jiri Lehecka. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LLu1TK1Xc4c" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p dir="ltr">Djokovic, the former world No. 1, aims to extend his record with an 11th title at the Australian Open.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On the women’s side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka took home the title in Brisbane, defeating Polina Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Sabalenka has won two consecutive Australian Open titles and will attempt to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three straight championships in Melbourne.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Related:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/shapovalov-diallo-galarneau-draxl-and-pospisil-to-form-canadian-davis-cup-team-in-montreal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shapovalov, Diallo, Galarneau, Draxl, and Pospisil to form Canadian Davis Cup team at Davis Cup in Montreal</a></strong></p>
<h3>Dabrowski shares cancer diagnosis</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Canadian star Gabriela Dabrowski revealed last week that she battled breast cancer for much of the 2024 season and underwent two surgeries following her diagnosis in April.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I know this will come as a shock to many, but I am OK and I will be OK," <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEPGbMNvrCF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dabrowski posted on Instagram</a>. "Early on in my diagnosis I was afraid of cancer becoming part of my identity forever. I don't feel that way anymore. It is a privilege to be able to call myself a survivor."</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1Db2NiNWFcQ" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p dir="ltr">The three-time Grand Slam champion did not let her diagnosis affect her performance on the court. The 32-year-old had one of the best seasons of her career, winning two WTA doubles titles with partner Erin Routliffe in Miami and Nottingham. The pair went on to win the WTA Finals, making Dabrowski the first Canadian to capture a WTA Finals title.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Ottawa, Ont., native also picked up hardware away from the WTA Tour, winning a bronze medal alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/gabriela-dabrowski-and-felix-auger-aliassime-named-tennis-canadas-2024-players-of-the-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime Named Tennis Canada’s 2024 Players of the Year</strong></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em><em><strong><em>The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open July 27 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/toronto/toronto-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></em></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>The WTA's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at IGA Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/montreal/montreal-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Feature Photo : Eurosport</p>

This Week in Tennis: Road to the Australian Open

<p>Young Canadian Marina Stakusic returns to the podcast this week as she speaks with host Mike McIntyre for a feature interview to discuss her 2024 campaign.</p>
<p>Stakusic looks at the positives of her season, elements she's focused on improving going forward, and goals for 2025.<br /><br />Listen to the podcast on your favourite platforms:<br /></p>
<p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7N1Z2khrWbo8VBN1XOWyhD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a><a href="https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/matchpointcanadatcpn?selected=ADV7315373409" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br />Megaphone<br /></a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/match-point-canada/id1370718758" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts<br /><br /></a></p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jpVAgHVRPKg" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>

Podcast

Match Point Canada

Match Point Canada Feature Interview - Marina Stakusic

<p>It was the first time since 2002 that a) No member of the “Big Four” (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray) won a major and, b) No member of the Big Four finished in the top two of the ATP year-end rankings.</p>
<p>With that in mind, it is time to honour the players who seized the spotlight in 2024. The ATP Tour announced their season-ending awards this week. Now the National Bank Open Power Rankings Panel is here to do the same. </p>
<p>Here are our picks for the 2024 ATP Awards. </p>
<h3>Singles Player of the Year: Jannik Sinner </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 73-6 </li><li>Titles: 8 </li><li>Biggest Title: Australian Open, US Open </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 1 </li></ul>
<p>Even before the calendar flipped to 2024, Jannik Sinner was the man to beat on the ATP Tour after his scorching-hot finish to 2023 (a run that began with a National Bank Open title in Toronto). The young Italian carried his momentum into the new year, winning his first 16 matches to start the season. </p>
<p>In his very first event of 2024, he set the tone by tearing through the draw in Melbourne at the Australian Open. He got to the semis without dropping a set and then defeating 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach his first major final. There, he mounted a thrilling comeback from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev for his first Grand Slam title.  </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/b90INDbXX7Y" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Sinner followed up his first major triumph with a win in Rotterdam. Carlos Alcaraz finally put a stop to his run in Indian Wells, but the Italian rebounded to win Miami, going 22-1 overall on the early-season hard courts. </p>
<p>Even though he failed to lift a trophy on clay, a semifinal run at Roland-Garros combined with Novak Djokovic’s injury withdrawal propelled Sinner to the top spot in the rankings for the first time, becoming the first Italian to hold the top spot.  </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sinner-takes-torch-best-atp-stories-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sinner Takes the Torch - Best ATP Stories of 2024</a></strong></p>
<p>He added a title on grass in Halle and then continued his domination on hard courts for the rest of the season. Starting in Cincinnati, Sinner went 29-1 through to the end of the year with four titles, including two Masters 1000s, a second major at the US Open, and a victory at the ATP Finals. His only loss after Montreal was in the Beijing final, a three-plus hour clash with Alcaraz decided in a third-set tiebreak. The Italian finished off 2024 the same way he did 2023, by leading Italy to a Davis Cup victory in Malaga. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ycj5I3JKCT8" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Sinner’s finished the year with a 94.6 per cent winning percentage on hard courts, the third highest of all time in a season (trailing only peak Roger Federer in 2005 and 2006). He finished almost 4000 points ahead of world No. 2 Alexander Zverev. </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Carlos Alcaraz </p>
<h4><em><em>Actual </em>ATP Award Winner: Jannik Sinner (Fan Favourite)</em></h4>
<h3>Doubles Team of the Year: Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 47-20 </li><li>Titles: 4 </li><li>Biggest Title: Roland-Garros </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 1 </li></ul>
<p>Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic inaugurated their partnership in style, kicking off 2024 with a title in Hong Kong in their first tournament together.  </p>
<p>The pair really hit their stride on the clay, where they reached the semifinals or better at five of six events. The El Salvadorian-Croatian pair reached three straight finals to end the clay swing, losing in the title match in Rome before winning Geneva and Roland-Garros, the second major title for Arevalo and fourth for Pavic, completing the Croatian’s career Golden Slam. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5Br3DKHRmoI" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Consistency through the remainder of the season carried them to the top spot in the rankings, which they finally seized in November. They reached the semifinals or better at all three big summer hard court events, winning the title in Cincinnati. They finished the year by reaching the final of the ATP Finals, their fifth final in their first year together.  </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Max Purcell/Jordan Thompson, Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz </p>
<h4><em>Actual ATP Award Winner: Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori (Fan Favourite)</em></h4>
<h3>Newcomer of the Year: Jakub Mensik </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 25-17 </li><li>Best Result: ATP 250 Doha Runner-Up, ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai Quarter-Final </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 48 (+119) </li></ul>
<p>The teenage Jakub Mensik had only participated in one tour-level main draw prior to 2024, but it did not take long for the Czech to cement himself as a regular on the ATP Tour.  </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/catching-up-montreal-champion-how-rest-2024-went-alexei-popyrin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Catching up with the Montreal Champion - How the Rest of 2024 Went for Alexei Popyrin</a></strong></p>
<p>He showed early flashes with some deep Challenger runs in the first few weeks of the season and qualified for his second Grand Slam event at the Australian Open. But the breakthrough came in February at the ATP 250 event in Doha where he took out a string of experienced opponents, most notably world No. 5 Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals, on his way to his first tour-level final, which he lost to Karen Khachanov.  </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zRqTWYv6mi8" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Mensik struggled through the middle of the season, with injuries limiting him on the clay, although he still scored another Top 10 win over Grigor Dimitrov in Madrid, but he picked up his level again once the tour shifted back to the hard courts. He scored a third Top 20 win over the season at the US Open against Félix Auger-Aliassime and then had his best result yet at a big tournament in Shanghai, repeating his greatest hits with wins over Rublev and Dimitrov on his way to the quarter-finals, where he was narrowly edged out by Novak Djokovic. </p>
<p>The late-season surge allowed Mensik to finish the year as the highest-ranked teen on the ATP Tour. </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getter:</strong> </em>Shang Juncheng, Gabriel Diallo* </p>
<p><em>*Asterisk denotes write-in candidate, was not nominated for the ATP’s actual award.</em> </p>
<h4><em>Actual ATP Award Winner: Jakub Mensik</em></h4>
<h3>Comeback Player of the Year: Matteo Berrettini </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 32-12 </li><li>Titles: 3 </li><li>Best Result: ATP 250 Marrakech Champion, ATP 250 Gstaad Champion, ATP 250 Kitzbuhel Champion </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 34 (+58) </li></ul>
<p>Injuries derailed Matteo Berrettini in 2023 and the former Wimbledon runner-up came into the new year barely inside the Top 100. He did not even get his season underway until March, although he got off to a strong start by reaching the final of the Phoenix Challenger in his first tournament of 2024.  </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JPWpkCkEuzg" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>In just his second ATP Tour-level event of the year, Berrettini was lifting a trophy. He battled through the draw on clay in Marrakech to claim his first title in two years at the ATP 250 event. After a run to the final on the grass in Stuttgart, the Italian won back-to-back titles on the July clay courts in Gstaad and Kitzhbuhel. The latter victory brought his career total to 10 titles on the ATP Tour. </p>
<p>Berrettini wrapped up his bounce-back year on a high note, winning both his matches in Malaga to help Italy win their second straight Davis Cup. </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Kei Nishikori </p>
<h4><em>Actual ATP Award Winner: Matteo Berrettini</em></h4>
<h3>Most Improved Player of the Year: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 16-12 </li><li>Titles: 2 </li><li>Best Result: ATP 500 Basel Champion  </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 31 </li></ul>
<p>After announcing himself to the world in 2024, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is one player no one will want to face in 2025. </p>
<p>The towering Frenchman transitioned successfully from the Challenger Tour to the main tour midway through the season. Having won three Challenger titles in the first four months, Mpetshi Perricard broke through on the ATP Tour with a title on home soil in Lyon on clay in May. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6N99fGLN_wk" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Where the Frenchman really impressed was on the fast surfaces. At Wimbledon, he came through qualifying and then served his way into his first Grand Slam fourth round, including a thrilling five-set win over world No. 21 Sebastian Korda in the first round. He led the tournament in aces with 115 in just four main-draw matches. Not only was he the only player to crack 100, the second most aces was just 78 by Taylor Fritz, who played one more match than the Frenchman. Mpetshi Perricard had almost twice as many aces as both finalists at the All-England Club. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/2024-wta-awards-nbo-power-rankings-panels-version" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 WTA Awards - NBO Power Rankings Panel’s Version</a></strong></p>
<p>During the fall, the 21-year-old was again a force to be reckoned with on the speedy indoor courts. In Basel, he blew away the field, scoring wins over Auger-Aliassime, <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/shapovalov-joins-mpetshi-perricards-canadian-victim-list-in-basel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denis Shapovalov</a>, Holger Rune and fellow big-server Ben Shelton with the loss of just one set on his way to the title. He finished 2024 as the tour leader in aces per match with an average of 19, six more than second-place Hubert Hurkacz. </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Jack Draper, Alejandro Tabilo </p>
<h4><em>Actual ATP Award Winner: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard</em></h4>
<p><em>The National Bank Open Power Rankings are a group collaboration by the Power Rankings Panel which includes:</em></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/PeteB_93" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Borkowski</a> – Content Editor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/boydmel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa Boyd</a> – Content Writer, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ChampagneSJade" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah-Jade Champagne</a> – Content Specialist, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/EddieJonesLee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edward Lee</a> – Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/BenLewisMPC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ben Lewis</a> – Host, Match Point Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/hulight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hugues Leger</a> – Producer, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/McIntyreTennis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mike McIntyre</a> – Host, Match Point Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/SanterreAbraham" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abraham Santerre</a> – Content Creator, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li>Patrick Steski - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li>Charlotte Robillard-Millette - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li></ul>
<h3>Best Moment: </h3>
<ul><li>Pete: The <a href="https://x.com/Served_Podcast/status/1799860538673144271" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alcaraz backhand passing shot to break in the fifth set of the French Open final</a>. </li><li>Mel: Novak Djokovic winning the Olympics to complete the Career Golden Slam </li><li>Eddie: Rafaraz at the Olympics </li><li>Mike: Novak Djokovic winning the Olympics to complete the Career Golden Slam </li><li>Ben: Novak Djokovic winning the Olympics to complete the Career Golden Slam </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Rafa’s Last Dance at Roland-Garros </li><li>Hugues: Alcaraz winning Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, completing the Channel Slam </li><li>Abraham: Alcaraz’s epic win over Zverev at Roland-Garros</li></ul>
<h3>Bold Prediction for 2025: </h3>
<ul><li>Pete: We will get a Sinner-Alcaraz Grand Slam final </li><li>Mel: Taylor Fritz will become the first American man to win a singles major since Roddick in 2003 </li><li>Mike: Novak Djokovic wins his 25th Grand Slam title. </li><li>Ben: Novak Djokovic announces his retirement after the US Open. </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Novak Djokovic will win one more Slam and then retire at season’s end. </li><li>Hugues: Novak Djokovic wins his 25th Grand Slam title. </li><li>Abraham: Novak Djokovic will fall out of the Top 10 </li></ul>
<p><em><strong><em>The ATP's best return to Toronto next summer for the National Bank Open July 27 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/toronto/toronto-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></em></p>
<p>Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak</p>

2024 ATP Awards: NBO Power Rankings Panel’s Version

<p>Although the 6’5” Aussie broke into the Top 100 on the eve of his 20th birthday back in June 2019, he’d never really settled in until now. Slowly but surely, he’s been consolidating gains to finally become a threat to the ATP elite.</p>
<p>The NBO is a milestone in Popyrin’s career. It also made him <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/recapitulatif-atp-de-la-journee/2024/peroni-refresh-alexei-popyrins-extraordinary-feat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the first Australian to win a Masters 1000 title</a> since his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt 21 years ago.  </p>
<p> </p>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247545/Popyrin-et-trophée-OBN-2024-Pascal-Ratthé-TC.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">Photo : Pascal Ratthé/Tennis Canada</figcaption></figure>
<p>On October 31, Popyrin’s season ended in the round of 16 of the Paris Masters at the hands of a masterful Karen Khachanov. Alexei then jetted off to Spain for the Davis Cup Finals, where Hewitt elected to give the court time to World No. 75 Thanasi Kokkinakis.</p>
<p>Despite the disappointment, Popyrin should be very happy about how 2024 unfolded. </p>
<h3>Built for the hard courts  </h3>
<p>Before his Canadian campaign, Alexei hadn’t strung together more than three wins since claiming the titles at the 2023 Croatia Open in Umag (ATP 250) and the Bordeaux Challenger the year before that. </p>
<p>Just as they did for Pablo Carreno Busta in 2022, the courts in Montréal galvanized Popyrin, and he surprised all of tennis when he sat down on Centre Court to take in his tremendous win with a huge smile on his face.  </p>
<p> </p>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247542/Popyrin-champion-OBN-2024-Patrice-Bariault-TC.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">Photo : Patrice Bariault/Tennis Canada</figcaption></figure>
<p>At IGA Stadium, he dismantled six tough opponents, five of whom were in the Top 20 including three in the Top 10, namely No. 39 Tomas Machac, No. 14 Ben Shelton, No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov, No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz, <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/recapitulatif-atp-de-la-journee/2024/peroni-nastro-azzuro-refresh-popyrin-surprises-korda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">No. 18 Sebastian Korda</a> and No. 8 Andrei Rublev.</p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/popyrin-wins-biggest-title-career-gets-private-jet-ride-he-wanted" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Popyrin wins biggest title of career and gets the private jet ride he wanted</a></strong></p>
<p>On his spectacular run, Popyrin dropped only 2 of 14 sets and collected enough points to move up from No. 62 to No. 23.  </p>
<p>Incidentally, he’s the second lowest-ranked player to win the Canadian title since Mikael Pernfors of Sweden, No. 95 in 1993. The city has been happy hunting grounds for underdogs, since it’s crowned five of its lowest-ranked competitors. </p>
<p>  </p>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247539/Popyrin-US-Open-2024-Corinne-Dubreuil-FFT.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">Photo : Corinne Dubreuil/FFT</figcaption></figure>
<p>After the NBO, Popyrin followed up with two more wins over Top 10 players, upsetting No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the third round of the US Open and kicking No. 5 Daniil Medvedev out of the second round of the Paris Masters in late October.</p>
<p>That’s a record of 28-22 in 2024. </p>
<h3>Frequent flyer </h3>
<p>The Sydney native has come a long way, literally and figuratively.  </p>
<p>The son of Russian immigrants Alex and Helena Popyrin, Alexei took up tennis at the age of four. He was eight when his father moved the family to Dubai and then to Alicante, Nice, Marbella and back to Dubai.  </p>
<p>In 2017, he won the junior event at Roland-Garros and joined the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy later that year. </p>
<p> </p>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247540/Alexei-Popyrin-champ.-jr.-RG-2017-Tennisworldes.com.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">Photo : Tennisworldes.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>And in case you didn’t know, Patrick Mouratoglou and Alexei’s father are the cofounders of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, an innovative competition format created during the pandemic.</p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sinner-takes-torch-best-atp-stories-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sinner Takes the Torch - Best ATP Stories of 2024</a></strong></p>
<p>Alexei Popyrin is currently the Australian No. 2 behind Alex de Minaur, who also happens to be a French Open junior champion.   </p>
<h3>On and off the courts  </h3>
<p>The best year of Alexei’s career ended on a very happy personal note, too. He and his longtime girlfriend Amy Pederick got engaged in November. </p>
<p> </p>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247543/Popyrin-engagement-IG-1.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">@alexeipopyrin</figcaption></figure>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247544/Popyrin-engagement-IG-2.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">Photo : @alexeipopyrin</figcaption></figure>
<p>As it turns out, November was an especially romantic month in the ATP. Casper Ruud proposed to Maria Galligani after six years together, and our very own Félix Auger-Aliassime and Nina Ghaibi announced their engagement.</p>
<p>Congrats all around!  </p>
<p> </p>
<figure style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;"><img src="https://assets.nationalbankopen.com/production/news/_default/12247541/Montage-fiancailles-Ruud-Félix-IG.webp" alt="" /><figcaption style="text-align:center;">Photos: @casperruud, @felixaliassime</figcaption></figure>
<p><b>Read also: <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/gabriela-dabrowski-and-felix-auger-aliassime-named-tennis-canadas-2024-players-of-the-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime Named Tennis Canada’s 2024 Players of the Year</a></b></p>
<p><em><strong><em></em></strong></em><em><strong><em>The ATP's best return to Toronto next summer for the National Bank Open July 27 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/toronto/toronto-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></em></p>
<p><em>Feature Photo </em>:<em> </em>David Kirouac/USA Today Sports</p>

Tour Results

Catching up with the Montreal Champion: How the Rest of 2024 Went for Alexei Popyrin

<p>The WTA just released their awards for the 2024 season, but does the National Bank Open Power Rankings panel agree with their decisions? </p>
<p>Here are our choices for 2024 WTA Awards. </p>
<h3>Singles Player of the Year: Aryna Sabalenka </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 56-14 </li><li>Titles: 4 </li><li>Biggest Title: Australian Open, US Open </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 1 </li></ul>



<p>2024 was the year when Aryna Sabalenka finally wrestled control of the WTA Tour away from Iga Swiatek. Despite having briefly held the No. 1 ranking in late 2023, it was over the last 12 months that the 26-year-old firmly established herself as the world’s best player. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kLdkTzDbXVE" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>While she was particularly dominant on hard courts, winning both majors on the surface as well as two WTA 1000 titles in Cincinnati and Wuhan, Sabalenka was an all-surface threat in 2024. She reached both WTA 1000 finals on clay in Madrid and Rome, losing to Swiatek both times although the Madrid final was an all-time epic decided in a third-set tiebreak. She also reached the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sabalenka-cements-top-dog-status-best-wta-stories-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sabalenka Cements Top Dog Status - Best WTA Stories of 2024</a></strong></p>
<p>Sabalenka rose to the occasion in 2024 on the biggest stages, going 18-1 in Grand Slam events and reaching the quarter-finals or better at the last six WTA 1000 events of the year, closing out the season by reaching the semifinals of the WTA Finals. She finished more than 1000 points ahead of Swiatek for the top spot in the rankings.</p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Jasmine Paolini </p>
<h4><em>Actual WTA Award Winner: Aryna Sabalenka</em></h4>
<h3>Doubles Team of the Year: Gabriela Dabrowski/Erin Routliffe  </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 39-14 </li><li>Titles: 2 </li><li>Biggest Title: WTA Finals </li><li>Year-End Ranking:  <ul><li>As a team: 2nd in the race to the WTA Finals (although once WTA Finals are added, they finished with the most points of any team in 2024)</li><li>Routliffe: 2</li><li>Dabrowski: 3</li></ul></li></ul>






<p>Despite not adding a second major title to their haul in 2024, Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe were one of the most consistent tandems on the WTA Tour this year.  </p>
<p>They reached the quarter-finals or better at all three majors they played, including getting to the title match at Wimbledon, as well as at four of the seven WTA 1000 events they participated in. That includes the National Bank Open in Toronto where they reached the final. The Canadian/Kiwi team saved their best for last, <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/dabrowski-makes-more-history-with-wta-finals-victory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">winning the title at the WTA Finals</a>. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1Db2NiNWFcQ" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Their victory made Dabrowski the first Canadian woman ever to lift a trophy at the year-end championships.  </p>
<p>Including their victory at the WTA Finals, Dabrowski and Routliffe finished with more points than any other team on the WTA Tour, a feat made even more impressive given that the Canadian skipped the entire clay-court season, including two WTA 1000 events and Roland-Garros.  </p>
<p>Overall, they reached six finals in 2024 and won two titles, Riyadh in November and the 250 event in Nottingham on grass in June.  </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend, Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, Jelena Ostapenko/Liudmila Kichenok </p>
<h4><em>Actual WTA Award Winner: Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini</em></h4>
<h3>Newcomer of the Year: Lulu Sun </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 38-19 </li><li>Best Result: WTA 500 Monterrey Runner-Up, Wimbledon Quarter-Final as Qualifier </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 40 (+179) </li></ul>


<p>2024 was the first year of Lulu Sun’s career where she spent most of the season on the WTA main tour and she certainly made an impression. The season was full of firsts for the 23-year-old from New Zealand, starting with coming through qualifying to make her Grand Slam debut right at the start of the year at the Australian Open. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1eLBmBPIyIg" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>At Wimbledon, Sun truly announced herself to the world coming through qualifying again and then reaching the quarter-finals, a run of seven straight wins on the hallowed lawns of the All-England Club (seven matches in normally enough to win a major, but she had to win three in qualies). That run included victories over world No. 8 Qinwen Zheng, her first Top 10 win, and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/catching-up-with-toronto-champion-how-rest-2024-went-jessica-pegula" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Catching Up With the Toronto Champion - How the Rest of 2024 Went for Jessica Pegula</a></strong></p>
<p>Sun spent the rest of her season on the main tour and reached her first tour-level final at the WTA 500 event in Monterrey. </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getter:</strong> </em>Erika Andreeva </p>
<h4><em>Actual WTA Award Winner: Lulu Sun</em></h4>
<h3>Comeback Player of the Year: Amanda Anisimova </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 21-13 </li><li>Best Result: WTA 1000 National Bank Open Toronto Runner-Up </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 39 (+320) </li></ul>


<p>Anisimova returned to the WTA Tour in January after a seven-month break from the sport, having cited burnout and mental health reasons for stepping away. Her first-round win in Auckland was her first match win in nearly 11 months. </p>
<p>The former world No. 21 started to pick up her pace on the clay before really hitting her stride in the summer. First, she reached the quarter-finals as a qualifier in Washington in July and then went on a tear in Toronto. </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0BV65S7Z52Q" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>At the National Bank Open, she won her first five matches, including four over Top 10 opponents, <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/anisimova-keeps-making-strides-upsets-sabalenka-first-1000-semifinal-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most notably then-world No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka</a> in straight sets, on her way to the biggest final of her career so far, also her first final since January 2022. While <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/recapitulatif-de-la-journee/2024/cashmere-wrap-jessica-pegula-defends-her-national-bank-open-title-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">she came up short against the red-hot defending champion Jessica Pegula</a>, she still forced the soon-to-be US Open finalist to three sets. </p>
<p>Having started the year outside the Top 350, the 23-year-old finished 2024 just inside the Top 40. </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong> </em>Paula Badosa, Karolina Muchova, Emma Raducanu </p>
<h4><em>Actual WTA Award Winner: Paula Badosa</em></h4>
<h3>Most Improved Player of the Year: Diana Shnaider: </h3>
<ul><li>Record: 55-23 </li><li>Titles: 4 </li><li>Best Result: WTA 500 Bad Homburg Champion, WTA 1000 National Bank Open Toronto Semifinalist </li><li>Year-End Ranking: 13 (+47) </li></ul>



<p>Only one player on the WTA Tour won titles on all three surfaces in 2024: Diana Shnaider.  </p>
<p>In her first full year on tour, the 20-year-old quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with. The first title was on hard courts in Hua Hin in February. She added a grass win in Bad Homburg in June and less than a month later was a champion on clay in Budapest to complete the surface sweep.  </p><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HH5S5NXAzNM" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Having made her WTA 1000 debut in Indian Wells in March, Shnaider had her best showing at a big tournament in Toronto, reaching the semifinals of the National Bank Open. That run included <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/diana-shnaider-continues-2024-breakout-upset-gauff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a third-round demolition of top seed and world No. 2 Coco Gauff</a>. </p>
<p>Shnaider also ended the year with bang, winning her final tournament in Hong Kong. Only Iga Swiatek won more titles in 2024 than the 20-year-old.  </p>
<p><em><strong>Other Vote-Getters:</strong></em> Emma Navarro, Jasmine Paolini*, Danielle Collins </p>
<h4><em>Actual WTA Award Winner: Emma Navarro</em></h4>
<p><em>*Asterisk denotes write-in candidate, was not nominated for the WTA’s actual award. </em></p>
<p><em>The National Bank Open Power Rankings are a group collaboration by the Power Rankings Panel which includes:</em></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/PeteB_93" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Borkowski</a> – Content Editor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/boydmel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa Boyd</a> – Content Writer, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ChampagneSJade" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah-Jade Champagne</a> – Content Specialist, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/EddieJonesLee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edward Lee</a> – Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/BenLewisMPC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ben Lewis</a> – Host, Match Point Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/hulight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hugues Leger</a> – Producer, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/McIntyreTennis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mike McIntyre</a> – Host, Match Point Canada</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/SanterreAbraham" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abraham Santerre</a> – Content Creator, Podcast Sur La Ligne</li><li>Patrick Steski - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada</li><li>Charlotte Robillard-Millette - Content Contributor, Tennis Canada<em></em></li></ul>
<h3>Best WTA Tour Moment of 2024:</h3>
<ul><li>Pete: Aryna Sabalenka meeting her mini-me at the US Open </li><li>Mel: Aryna Sabalenka dominating the hard-court majors, winning both with the loss of just one set. </li><li>Eddie: The epic Madrid final between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka </li><li>Mike: Aryna Sabalenka taking over the No. 1 ranking </li><li>Ben: Coco Gauff beating Qinwen Zheng in the match of the year in the final of the WTA Finals. </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Danielle Collins (mic drop) </li><li>Hugues: Aryna Sabalenka taking over the No. 1 ranking </li><li>Abraham: Emma Navarro’s run at the US Open </li></ul>







<h3>Bold Prediction for 2025:</h3>
<ul><li>Pete: A non-Top 10 player will win a Grand Slam </li><li>Mel: Karolina Muchova will win a Grand Slam </li><li>Mike: Naomi Osaka returns to the Top 20 </li><li>Ben: Jessica Pegula will win a Grand Slam </li><li>Sarah-Jade: Jasmine Paolini will beat Iga Swiatek in the Roland-Garros final </li><li>Hugues: Serena Williams attempts a comeback </li><li>Abraham: Coco Gauff will win two slams (Wimbledon and US Open) </li></ul>
<p><strong><em>The WTA's best return to Montreal next summer for the National Bank Open July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at IGA Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/montreal/montreal-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></p>
<p>Feature Photo: Peter Power</p>

2024 WTA Awards: NBO Power Rankings Panel’s Version

<p>Hosts Ben and Mike reconvene this week to break down all the ATP and WTA award nominees for 2024, and debate their selections on Player of the Year, Most Improved, Comeback Player, Newcomer and much more.</p>
<p>They also discuss Novak Djokovic's huge hire of Andy Murray as his next coach, a final farewell from Juan Martin del Potro, and Iga Swiatek's doping case.</p>
<p>They also make their picks for the best men's and women's moments of the year.</p>
<p>All of that and more on the latest episode of MPC!<br /><br />Listen to the podcast on your favourite platforms:<br /></p>
<p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7N1Z2khrWbo8VBN1XOWyhD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a><a href="https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/matchpointcanadatcpn?selected=ADV7315373409" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br />Megaphone<br /></a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/match-point-canada/id1370718758" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a></p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/V2j24Was1F8" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>&amp;t=322s</p>

Match Point Canada Episode 40: 2024 ATP & WTA Awards

<p>The American looked very comfortable yet again playing in front of a Canadian crowd as she defended her crown from Montreal a year earlier with <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/recapitulatif-de-la-journee/2024/cashmere-wrap-jessica-pegula-defends-her-national-bank-open-title-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a three-set victory over Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1</a>.</p>
<p>About her success in Canada, Pegula said: </p>
<p>“I've <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/jessica-pegula-continues-love-affair-national-bank-open-title-defence-within-reach" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">always just played well here</a>, and I think my results kind of show that. Especially Toronto, it's nice, it's so close to Buffalo. I had a lot of friends, family, and my grandparents, my husband was able to come today, that's cool. I don't really get that at a lot of tournaments. Then to be able to win the tournament as well, and to be able to share that moment with them is really special.”</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Hs7Lmab9hcc" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Pegula didn’t rest on her laurels after her victory here in the Great White North and instead used the title in Toronto to propel her to back-to-back finals at the 1000-level event in Cincinnati and then reach her first major final at the US Open in New York. She went a spectacular 15-2 during that time. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sustaining-momentum-from-national-bank-open-us-open" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sustaining Momentum from the National Bank Open to the US Open</a></strong></p>
<p>The only player to defeat Pegula during her superb summer swing was Aryna Sabalenka, who took her out in the finals both in Cincy and Flushing Meadows. </p>
<p>At the US Open, Pegula broke her streak of 22 straight majors without making it past the quarter-finals by beating World No. 1 Iga Swiatek to make her first-ever Slam semi. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eXOMURiWrn0" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>After that meaningful victory over Swiatek, Pegula was asked by the press about finally breaking through that barrier:</p>
<p>“I would like to say I'm so happy that you guys cannot ask me [anymore] about making it to the semis. It wasn't even a me thing. It was more people asking me. I'm really happy to be through to the semifinals. I thought I played a really clean match, served pretty well, returned well. I feel like I didn't really do anything that bad, and was able to kind of jump on her really early and I think frustrate her, and was able to keep my level even when she picked it up in the second set. I think I just played all-around really good tennis today.”</p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/sabalenka-cements-top-dog-status-best-wta-stories-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sabalenka Cements Top Dog Status - Best WTA Stories of 2024</a></strong></p>
<p>“It wasn't so much the round,” Pegula continued. “It's just, like, winning a big match...There's a lot of other variables; beating her, the No. 1 player in the world, Ashe, prime time, trying to make a semifinal, knowing that I'm up, knowing that I'm playing well, I'm giving myself a really good opportunity.”</p>
<p>Pegula then headed to China, fully entrenched as the No. 1 American player, to participate in the Asian swing. She showed some fatigue during this stretch of the season which was understandable given her busy summer schedule which had also included her participation in the Paris Olympic Games prior to her title in Toronto. </p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sScbLUqyhM0" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>One positive in Asia was that Pegula showed off her doubles skills, managing a finals appearance in Wuhan alongside Asia Muhammad. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2024/wta-the-flower-year" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jasmine (Paolini) - WTA Flower of the Year</a></strong></p>
<p>The 30-year-old finished her year at the WTA Finals in Saudia Arabia where she lost both of her singles round-robin matches in straight sets to eventual champion Coco Gauff and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova. </p>
<p>Pegula arrived at the event in less-than-perfect health and then aggravated an existing knee injury and was forced to withdraw after her first two matches. </p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/canada-confirms-its-place-among-the-world-leading-tennis-nations-with-a-rise-in-participation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Confirms its Place Among the World-leading Tennis Nations With a Rise in Participation</a> </strong></p>
<p>Pegula shared that, “I went to Asia, and it wasn't the greatest Asian Swing ever. I think it kind of snaps you back pretty quickly. Like tennis is, it's a new week with new challenges. That's all I'm really focusing on now.”</p>
<p>Pegula faced many new challenges in 2024 and had arguably her most successful season as a pro. Now, with the relief of having sustained success at a major, it will be interesting to see how Pegula fares at the Slams in 2025. How much higher can she climb and can Pegula repeat as NBO champ for a third straight year when she returns to Montreal? </p>
<p><strong><em>The WTA's best return to Montreal next summer for the National Bank Open July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at IGA Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/montreal/montreal-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></p>
<p>Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak</p>

Catching Up With the Toronto Champion: How the Rest of 2024 Went for Jessica Pegula

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<h3>Canadians fall early in Melbourne </h3>
<p>Gabriela Dabrowski is the only Canadian remaining at the Australian Open.</p>
<p>She and Erin Routliffe advanced to the quarter-finals with a hard-fought win over Beatriz Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4. The pair have come back from down a set in each of their three wins in the tournament. The reigning WTA Finals champions will take on Miyu Kato and Renata Zarazua in the quarters.</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/neUaGTUOXfk" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>The five Canadians in the singles draw fell early in the season’s first Grand Slam.</p>
<p>Leylah Annie Fernandez found the most success in Melbourne Park, winning her first match against Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-5, 6-4 and her <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/fernandez-finally-reaches-australian-open-third-round-auger-aliassime-slips-up/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">second-round match against Cristina Bucsa</a> 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Her run would end in the third round as she <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/fernandez-bested-by-gauff-in-australian-open-third-round/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fell to No. 3 Coco Gauff</a>, one of the tournament favourites, 6-4, 6-2.</p>
<p>Despite the early exit, it was the most successful Australian Open of Fernandez’s career, as she reached the third round for the first time in six entries.</p>
<p>Rebecca Marino was the only other Canadian in the women’s draw but <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/shapovalov-rallies-to-beat-bautista-agut-marino-upset-bid-falls-short-at-australian-open/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dropped her first-round match to the 22nd seed Katie Boulter</a> 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.</p>
<p>Things did not go better for the Canadians on the men’s side.</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/A1VLn65O0_I" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p>Félix Auger-Aliassime rode into the Australian Open on a high, taking a five-match win streak into the tournament after winning the Adelaide International. Unfortunately for the Montreal native, he was <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/fernandez-finally-reaches-australian-open-third-round-auger-aliassime-slips-up/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bounced in the second round by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina</a>. Auger-Aliassime went up two sets to love but could not put away the Spaniard, who stormed back to take the match 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.</p>
<p>Denis Shapovalov beat veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8) in his first-round match but was unable to overcome a tough draw, <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/shapovalov-diallo-eliminated-by-seeds-in-round-two-of-australian-open/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">falling to 2024 Olympic bronze medallist and No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti</a>  7-6(3), 7-6(6), 6-2.</p>
<p>Gabriel Diallo faced a familiar foe in his second-round matchup but was <a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/shapovalov-diallo-eliminated-by-seeds-in-round-two-of-australian-open/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beaten by No. 19 Karen Khachanov</a> for the third time in six months 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.</p>
<p>Fernandez saw her stay in Melbourne end on Sunday night after she and partner Nadiia Kichenok lost their third-round doubles match 6-3, 6-0 to Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/edhoeP5TrR8" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.tenniscanada.com/news/monday-digest-dabrowski-shaw-the-focus-at-australian-open/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click Here for more news about Canadian tennis. </a></strong></p>
<h3>Marquee matchups headline quarters</h3>
<p>The top seeds cruised through the draw on the men’s side and a marquee matchup between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will headline the quarter-finals. Djokovic is looking to win his 11th Australian Open title, while Alcaraz is searching for the one Grand Slam he’s yet to win.</p>
<p>The two have faced off seven times in their careers, with Djokovic holding a 4-3 advantage. However, Alcaraz has won the two most recent Grand Slam matches between the two, conquering Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon finals.</p>
<p><strong>Read also: <a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2025/atp-power-rankings-sinner-looks-stay-dominant-australian-open" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ATP Power Rankings - Sinner Looks to Stay Dominant at Australian Open</a></strong></p>
<p>Other men’s quarter-final matches include No. 1 Jannik Sinner against Alex de Minaur, Tommy Paul taking on No. 2 Alexander Zverev, and No. 21 Ben Shelton against unseeded Lorenzo Sonego.</p>
<p>On the women’s side, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has yet to drop a set as she heads into her quarter-final match against No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The other quarter-final matchups will see No. 3 Coco Gauff face off with No. 11 Paula Badosa, No. 19 Madison Keys battling No. 28 Elina Svitolina, and No. 8 Emma Navarro taking on No. 2 Iga Swiatek.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em><em><strong><em>The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open July 27 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/toronto/toronto-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></em></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>The WTA's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at IGA Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. </em><a href="https://nationalbankopen.com/montreal/montreal-tickets-packages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Get your tickets today!</em></a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak</p>

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