5 players who were surprise packages on the ATP Tour 2024 ft. Jack Draper, Alexei Popyrin
The 2024 ATP season was largely dominated by Jannik Sinner, who walked away with eight titles. Carlos Alcaraz also shared some spoils, with Novak Djokovic's Olympic triumph also keeping him in contention as a big trophy collector this season.
Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev, both veterans of the tour by now, also staked their claim at the top by winning Masters 1000 titles. Taylor Fritz also had his moment under the sun by reaching his first Major final at the US Open.
While these players were expected to do well, there were others who stepped up as well. Some of them had their breakthrough moments, while others had their long overdue moment in the spotlight. On that note, here's a look at players whose rise to the top this season was a little surprising:
#5 Jakub Mensik
Mensik announced his arrival on the tour with wins over three-time Major champion Andy Murray and World No. 5 Rublev en route to the final of the Qatar Open. While he lost to Karen Khachanov, he gave a good account of himself during the tournament.
Mensik also made the semifinals of the Croatia Open, and the third round of the Madrid Open. He advanced to his first quarterfinal at the Masters 1000 level in Shanghai by ousting two top-10 players before losing to Djokovic. He wrapped up his first full season on the ATP tour with a quarterfinal appearance in Vienna.
The Czech teen wasn't on anyone's radar at the start of the year but made everyone take note of him with his results. He finished the season ranked No. 48, and will be expected to continue his upward trajectory in the coming year.
#4 Arthur Fils
Following a strong debut season last year, expectations were high from Fils in 2024. While many youngsters crumble under the pressure, he raised his level by a considerable margin this season.
The Frenchman won the biggest title of his career at the Hamburg European Open, an ATP 500 tournament, by beating World No. 4 Zverev in the final. He claimed another title at that level in Tokyo later in the season, and beat four top-20 players, including World No. 7 Fritz, to hoist the winner's trophy.
Fils' composure against the top guns this year was commendable. He went 2-5 against them last year, and posted a 10-7 record against them this season. His rapid improvement, while expected, was a pleasant surprise nevertheless.
#3 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Mpetshi Perricard won his debut title on the ATP tour in front of his home crowd at the Lyon Open. However, he immediately bowed out in the first round of the French Open after that. He then fell in the final round of qualifiers at Wimbledon but got a second shot as a lucky loser.
Mpetshi Perricard made the most out of his second lease of life, and reached the fourth round at the All England Club, his best result at a Major. He further proved that his run in London wasn't a fluke by winning his first title at the ATP 500 level in Basel.
The 21-year-old beat Ben Shelton in the final, and knocked out well-known names like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Holger Rune and Denis Shapovalov prior to that. Mpetshi Perricard was a revelation on his first full season on the tour, and will be expected to sustain this momentum in the coming season.
#2 Jack Draper
Draper has been around for a while but recurring injuries often stopped him from giving it his best. So it was quite refreshing to see him healthy this season and fulfilling his potential. He claimed his maiden title at the Boss Open in Stuttgart, that too by beating Matteo Berrettini, who's quite a threat on grass.
Draper also scored a win over World No. 2 Alcaraz at Queen's Club. He reached his second quarterfinal at the Masters level in Cincinnati, and registered his best result at a Major with a semifinal showing at the US Open.
The Brit captured his second title of the season in Vienna, which pushed him to a career-high ranking of No. 15. While Draper's results weren't surprising given his talent, it was quite a surprise to see him relatively healthy for so long to achieve them. If his body holds up, then he will be an even bigger threat in the next season.
#1 Alexei Popyrin
Popyrin has weathered plenty of ups and downs since making his debut in 2018. After a tepid start to the season, it looked like this would be another middle-of-the-road season for him. However, he was quick to flip the script this time.
Popyrin tasted the biggest success of his career at the Canadian Open, where he won his first Masters 1000 title. He also beat two top-20 players, and three top-10 players to claim the title. He later stunned defending champion Djokovic in the third round of the US Open.
The Australian thus advanced to the fourth round of a Major for the first time. After some tough moments throughout his career, it didn't look like he would get to this point. However, Popyrin proved everyone wrong with his perseverance.