Grand Slam 2024 winners prediction ft. Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek & Rafael Nadal
The 2023 tennis season had plenty of memorable storylines to keep fans engaged throughout, with Novak Djokovic being front and center for the most part. Djokovic cemented his status as one the sport's greatest athletes by capturing his 24th Major title.
Coco Gauff, meanwhile, lived up to the expectations placed upon her by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Iga Swiatek had a slew of competitors to deal with last season, but finished the year on a high. She bagged six titles, including the French Open and the WTA Finals.
There was no sophomore slump for Carlos Alcaraz as he nabbed his second Major title at Wimbledon. With the new tennis season having just kicked off, the focus is now on the year's first Major, the Australian Open.
Players strive for glory on the biggest stage of tennis, and they only get four attempts at it per year. So let's take a look at the players who could potentially capture this year's Majors:
Australian Open
Defending champions: Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka
Men's singles winner in 2024: Novak Djokovic
The king of Melbourne Park is once again the most obvious choice to win the title Down Under. Djokovic already has 10 titles in Melbourne to his name. He's also on a 43-match winning streak across all tournaments in Australia.
Djokovic's previous defeat in the country was back in 2018, when he lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open. However, he's dealing with some injury concerns heading into the season's first Major.
Djokovic took a medical timeout during his match against Jiri Lehecka at the United Cup, which he went on to win. If the injury is not too serious, it's difficult to see anyone stopping him despite a rise in the level of competition.
Women's singles winner in 2024: Elena Rybakina
Rybakina came quite close to winning the Australian Open last year, but fell short against Aryna Sabalenka in the final. While she didn't add to her Major tally last year following her Wimbledon victory in 2022, she did win a couple of other big titles.
Rybakina won the Indian Wells tournament and the Italian Open, and finished as the runner-up at the Miami Open. She's got the game for hardcourts, and the conditions in Melbourne do favor her a bit too.
Rybakina's brand of tennis also matches up quite well against her biggest competitors - Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. So even if they're in the way, the Kazakh could find a way to outfox them and lay her hands on the winner's trophy.
French Open
Defending champions: Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek
Men's singles winner in 2024: Rafael Nadal
Nadal has just begun his comeback after a year-long injury hiatus, but to rule him out of the French Open would be quite the folly. With 14 titles and a 112-3 record in Paris, he remains a perennial favorite to go all the way there.
While it remains to be seen how Nadal's body holds up down the line, if he's healthy enough, the King of Clay could slide to another victory in the French capital. His arch-rival Djokovic will also be one of the leading contenders, along with Carlos Alcaraz.
Women's singles winner in 2024: Iga Swiatek
Swiatek is slowly venturing into Nadal-like territory with her accomplishments at the French Open. She has a 28-2 record at the venue, and has won three of the last four editions. The Pole has been the most dominant player on clay over the last couple of years.
Aside from her three French Open titles, Swiatek has won the Italian Open twice. She has also won a couple of titles in Stuttgart, and has a runner-up finish at the Madrid Open. Her career record on clay currently stands at 63-9, so seeing her lift another trophy in Paris wouldn't be too surprising.
Wimbledon
Defending champions: Carlos Alcaraz, Marketa Vondrousova
Men's singles winner in 2024: Novak Djokovic
Alcaraz went undefeated on grass last year and bested four-time defending champion Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. But defending a Major title is another task in itself.
Djokovic has established himself as the leading grasscourt player of his generation. Another title at Wimbledon would help him equal Roger Federer's haul of eight titles. The Serb's level on grass is miles above his current competition, so he seems like a lock for another triumph at the All England Club.
Women's singles winner in 2024: Aryna Sabalenka
Ons Jabeur, the runner-up here in 2023 and 2022, has seemingly regressed in every Major final she has reached. With recurring injury concerns as well, she seems to be running out of time.
Sabalenka reached the semifinals of the grasscourt Major the last two times she played here. She's got the perfect game for grass, but her tendency to falter at the business end of Majors is the only thing holding her back. She has been knocked out of Slam semifinals five times so far.
Sabalenka has advanced beyond this stage twice, once at the 2023 Australian Open, which she won, and then at the US Open, where she lost in the final. But she's a hard worker and constantly looks to better her game.
Those traits of Sabalenka helped her win the Australian Open last year after an underwhelming 2022 season. She definitely has it in her to win another Major title, and Wimbledon seems to be the perfect place for her second crowning.
US Open
Defending champions: Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff
Men's singles winner in 2024: Jannik Sinner
Sinner took his game to the next level last year. He reached his first Major semifinal and won his maiden Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open. Sinner was the only player to defeat Djokovic twice in 2023, and he also finished as the runner-up at the ATP Finals.
Grand Slam glory finally seems to be on the cards for Sinner. He's improving at a rapid pace, beating players he had never beaten before, and is capable of playing well on all surfaces. The US Open has become a place for first-time champions over the past decade, and this time, it could be the Italian's turn.
Women's singles winner in 2024: Naomi Osaka
Osaka has just returned to the tour following maternity leave and she won the very first match of her comeback at the Brisbane International. While it remains to be seen how she fares at the Australian Open, the Japanese could be a title contender by the time the US Open rolls around.
Osaka has established herself as one of the leading hardcourt players, having won all four of her Major titles on the surface. She has won the US Open and the Australian Open twice in the past, and has what it takes to get the job done.
Osaka would have had enough time to find her footing by this year's US Open. If her comeback goes well, she could find herself standing in the winner's circle in New York yet again.