Let’s face it: tennis has entered an era that’s both brilliant and a little hazy. As the longstanding headliners fade, a new generation of competitors isn’t just emerging; it’s toppling the old guard and rising to the top with heart-stopping performances.
In their line of sight is Montreal, where they’ll descend into the arena to battle for supremacy. Get to know the ten titans of men's tennis.
Jannik Sinner
Lording over the rankings with his skills and smarts is Jannik Sinner, who’s clawed his way to the ATP’s apex. His fantastic ascension began a year ago, at the 2023 National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto, where he lifted his first Masters 1000 winner’s trophy.
Since then, he’s played lights out: two wins over Novak Djokovic, a first Grand Slam in Melbourne, the Miami Masters, shiny new hardware from Rotterdam and Halle and, above all, a dazzling showing at Davis Cup to bring the silver salad bowl home to Italy. From the hard courts to the clay and grass, he’s been unstoppable. The once shaky 2019 Next Gen champion has matured into an outstanding competitor. He’s gained muscle mass and a bigger serve and kept his speed and tennis IQ razor sharp for when it really matters.
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Alexander Zverev
Back in action after a horrendous ankle injury in Paris, Alexander Zverev has recouped the lion’s share of his superlative form and is doing everything he can NOT to be the greatest player who never won a Grand Slam after getting this close at the US Open and Roland-Garros. With his solid all-around game, the German ace is chomping at the bit. Expect blue skies ahead.
Daniil Medvedev
Back on the hard courts not a moment too soon, Daniil Medvedev is a master with his diabolical precision, superhuman reflexes and totally unorthodox style. With two hard court Slams (2022 AO and 2023 US Open) already in his trophy case, he’s fought in the final in Melbourne and taken the crown in Indian Wells so far this season. Not bad at all.
Andrey Rublev
To date, 2024 hasn’t exactly been Andrey Rublev’s season. But the charismatic competitor could definitely move even further up in the rankings if he could only learn to self-regulate in the big moments. Will Montréal be the spark that lights the fire? As it stands, he averages quarterfinals. His shortcomings remain his lack of consistency and nervousness when tensions run high, but are they just little idiosyncrasies or the sign of something deeper?
Hubert Hurkacz
That serve! If you look only at the stats, there’s nobody better. How far can he go? Who knows? He won the Shanghai Masters last fall and Estoril in April and made it to the final in Halle. Will he shine in Montréal? It’s a distinct possibility.
Casper Ruud
A finalist at Roland-Garros in 2023, Casper Ruud is a mesmerizing clay court player. And on top of that, the Norwegian has more than enough talent to blaze through Montréal. For the former world No.2, an extra dose of confidence could go a long way.
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Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur is currently enjoying the best season of his career. The proof is in his back-to-back quarterfinal appearances at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. He was a finalist at the 2023 National Bank Open, and with the increasingly considerable power at his disposal, there’s no stopping him. Factor in his tennis acumen, and he could go very, very far in Montréal.
Grigor Dimitrov
There wasn’t any real indication that the 33-year-old Bulgarian would find his way back to the Top 10, but he’s made it happen with his crystalline style, singular backhand and sheer determination and confidence. Since his win in Brisbane in December, he’s battled in the final in Marseille and, more significantly, Miami. Not bad for a guy who was thought to be on his way out. Montréal is now set to host the man formerly known as Baby Fed and his delicate and magical game—the perfect balance of what’s always been and what’s to come.
Feature photo: Peter Power
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