If this month’s Australian Open is anything to go by, 2024 promises to be a high-octane year.
The first Grand Slam of the season delivered. In the men’s singles, Jannik Sinner roared back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev and win his first major title, and Aryna Sabalenka underlined her potential to become a dominant figure in women’s tennis after her straight-sets triumph over Zheng Qinwen.
Sinner stole the spotlight as the latest member of the ‘next generation’ to win a Grand Slam title, but other young talents laid down markers of their progress towards tennis’ top table. At the other end of the scale, there were some painful reminders of what happens when veterans reach their limits.
Here’s what we learned at the 2024 Australian Open.
The match I most enjoyed
Like most people, I had the top corner of the women’s draw circled going into the tournament. Iga Swiatek, the world No 1, had Sofia Kenin in the first round and would then face the winner of Danielle Collins and Angelique Kerber in the second round. That’s three Grand Slam winners and a finalist in one little corner.
I figured Collins, a free-hitter with grit who loved to compete and had beaten Swiatek in Rod Laver Arena before, would give Swiatek hell, and she did. Collins was destroying…
