Jannik Sinner banned from tennis, Novak Djokovic retires, Emma Raducanu's breakthrough on the rankings

The 2024 tennis season is over and the big winners and losers have been clearly defined in the final weeks of a hectic year.

Jannik Sinner's final chance of an eventful year saw Italy convincingly regain the Davis Cup in Malaga, while Carlos Alcaraz's stunning season emerged victorious at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Alexander Zverev ends the year as world number 2 after showing impressive consistency. Rafael Nadal's retirement comes in a year that also saw Grand Slam champions Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem retire.

Among the women, Aryna Sabalenka was the queen of the field. She won two Grand Slam titles and finished the year as number 1 in the world.

Her nearest rival was Iga Swiatek, but the Pole struggled to reach the heights in the second half of 2024 as Coco Gauff claimed the WTA Finals title in Saudi Arabia and China's Zheng Qinwen ended the year on a real high with a number of stunning achievements.

What comes next is a question all tennis fans are asking right now and here are some bold predictions for 2025.

JANNIK SINNER RECEIVES A SUSPENSION

Will world number 1 Jannik Sinner be banned from tennis after his failed drug tests last March?

The jury appeared to have reached their verdict in this story when Sinner was allowed to continue his career after a ruling by the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted his version of events that the banned substance clostebol accidentally entered his system and was not an achievement. strengthening substance.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed this verdict and is calling for a two-year ban for Sinner. If the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) sides with WADA, Sinner will likely face a ban from the tennis world.

The duration of that ban may not be the full two years, as the small amount of clostebol in Sinner's system is unlikely to have had a performance-enhancing impact.

But if CAS rules on Sinner in early 2025, he could face a six-month ban, which would knock him out of the final three Grand Slams of the year and send his world ranking plummeting.

It would also be a big scar on his image and reputation, as the Italian's lawyers will certainly do everything they can to avoid that fate.

RADUCANU BITE BACK

Emma Raducanu was one of the biggest talking points of 2024, with her impressive performance on the pitch, combined with healthy debate about her decisions off it.

The 2021 US Open champion admitted her post-Wimbledon scheduling plans were wrong as she did not play enough events and was undercooked when she was defeated in the first round of this year's US Open.

Injuries have also been a constant theme during her season, but Raducanu proved that when she can show up on the court in a physical condition that allows her to compete, she is once again a champion in the making.

Her fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon and her five straight wins in the Billie Jean King Cup were hugely impressive and if she can stay fit, a return to the top 20 of the WTA rankings next year should be within her reach.

Even more tennis news

The 6 women who will successfully defend a WTA title in 2024: ft Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff

The 7 men who achieved 18+ top-10 wins in a season: ft Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Rafael Nadal

THE END OF DJOKOVIC

The tennis world was stunned by the news that Novak Djokovic had hired his former rival Andy Murray to his team as coach for the Australian Open in January, and it was a hugely positive sign for fans of the Serbian legend.

Had Djokovic arrived in Australia without a new coach or any change in his lineup, the impression might have been that he no longer had the courage to demand more after setting so many notable tennis records.

Yet Murray would not have agreed to travel to Australia with his old rival unless he had been assured that he would be fully committed to winning his 25th Grand Slam title and his 11th in Melbourne.

Murray's appointment is a left-field move that few saw coming and it could give Djokovic a new source of inspiration, but this story still feels like it could end sooner rather than later.

If Djokovic fails to reach the final stages in Melbourne and even if he feels his motivation is waning on court in a tournament he loves more than any other, don't be surprised if at some point he sees the curtain fall on his career. point in 2025.

THE WILD CARDS

The jury is still out on Alexander Zverev after his good form in 2024 saw him finish at number 2 in the rankings.

His dream of winning a Grand Slam once again proved elusive and when he had opportunities to pull off victory in the French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, his old demons returned to haunt him.

Zverev's serve will take him to the back of most tournaments he plays, but his defeat to Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals highlighted his lack of killer instinct when pressure is applied.

Coco Gauff will be another player to keep an eye on next season.

She was brilliant as she defeated the game's best players to win the WTA Final and claim her biggest prize money in the history of women's tennis, but her serving problems have not gone away.

Gauff played some of the best tennis of the year and her big stroke from the back of the court was hugely impressive, but that serve needs to be fixed because if it breaks it could destroy her hopes in double quick time.

If Gauff gets her serve motion in order this offseason and works on her mentality when that shot goes wrong, she could reach the world No. 1 ranking for the first time next year.

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