Paris Olympics 2024: Men’s singles power rankings ft. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz & more
It is time to ring in the Olympics once again. As the “City of Love” gets ready to host the mega sporting extravaganza, we look at the top contenders to claim the men’s singles crown in Tennis. The list has been prepared by taking into account the performances on clay courts since the Tennis event will be held at Roland Garros, the clay court paradise.
The following formula has been used to calculate the power rankings: 1x points earned in the 2024 clay swing +0.5 x points earned in the 2023 clay swing +0.25 x points earned in the 2022 clay swing. Only points earned in the ATP events have been considered, not the challenger events.
#1 Carlos Alcaraz:
On the back of a successful “Channel Slam” campaign (winning both the French Open and the Wimbledon in the same calendar year), the Spaniard will be looking forward to keeping the momentum going and extending his winning run. His Wimbledon title defense involved a straight-set victory over Novak Djokovic in a rematch from the last year, a commendable feat in itself. Confidence will definitely be running high for the Spaniard, who also bagged his first French Open title this year.
#2 Casper Ruud:
Over the past three years, Casper Ruud has emerged as a force to reckon with on the red dirt, courtesy of back-to-back finals appearances at the French Open in 2023 and 2022 and a semifinal in 2024. He would be looking to shake off the dust of a poor outing at the recent Swedish Open.
#3 Alexander Zverev:
The German is the reigning Olympic champion and would want to emulate Sir Andy Murray, in defending his title. He made the French Open final in 2024 and lost a closely-fought five-setter to Carlos Alcaraz. Reaching the final of the German Open in the run-up to the Olympics will do his confidence a world of good.
#4 Stefanos Tsitsipas:
The current-generation torch-bearer of the elegant single-handed backhand, which has been immortalized by the legendary Roger Federer, the “Greek God” has had a decent clay season, making back-to-back finals at Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open, claiming the title in the former event.
#5 Novak Djokovic:
There is a reason why Novak Djokovic possesses a record 24 Gram Slam titles: his indomitable spirit makes him appear to be a rock-solid wall to any potential opponent. The seasoned pro will be appearing in his fifth Olympics and will look to add the missing Olympic Gold to his trophy cabinet. Having won the Bronze medal as a debutante in 2008, will the potential finale bring in the much-awaited Gold for the Serb? Only time will tell.
#6 Jannik Sinner:
The Italian currently sits at the numero uno position in the ATP rankings table. Although he does not possess any clay court title this season (losing the five-setter semifinal to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz at this year's French Open), he would like to change that in Paris, where he makes his Olympic debut in singles and doubles, alongside Lorenzo Sonego. There is something about the national flag that fuels his pride, which was demonstrated in the Davis Cup triumph last year, where Sinner was a key player, winning all of his singles matches.
#7 Daniil Medvedev:
The Russian will be playing under the Individual Neutral Athletes banner because the International Olympic Committee has banned the Russian Olympic Committee due to Russia’s involvement in war with Ukraine. He won the Rome Masters last year and made it to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters this season. Despite losing in the fourth round of the French Open this year, his experience of winning slams will benefit him at the Olympics.
#8 Holger Rune:
A knee niggle sustained during the German Open might dent the Dane’s chances, although he will be testing out the waters at the Croatia Open. He had a successful clay swing in 2023, making it to the finals of three events at the Monte Carlo Masters, Rome Masters, and Munich Open, winning the latter. He too, made it to the fourth round of the French Open this season, before going down to Alexander Zverev in a hard-fought five-setter battle.
Dark Horse, Sebastian Baez:
The most successful Argentine at the Olympics was Juan Martin del Potro, who won the bronze and silver medals. Sebastian Baez would be taking inspiration from the talisman and has already got two clay court titles this year, at Rio De Janeiro and Santiago.
Fan Favourite, Rafael Nadal:
The king of clay, winner of an unprecedented fourteen French Open trophies, has made a roaring return to the season after an injury-struck 2023. He made it to the finals of the Swedish Open in the warmup before heading to his favorite, Roland Garros. He would be hoping to make a deep run and has the experience of winning gold medals at the Olympics.
These are the ten top contenders for the upcoming Olympics. However, the world of sports is exciting and unpredictable, and surprises can always spring up, with each player aiming to go "Citius, Altius, Fortius" or "Faster, Higher, Stronger".