There were many interesting storylines to follow throughout the 2024 tennis season.
The sport said goodbye to some of its icons while youngsters began to stake their claim as a force to be reckoned with in the future.
But while some players had a pretty impressive year, others perhaps fell below both their own expectations and those from fans.
Ahead of the 2025 campaign, The Tennis Gazette looks at four players across the ATP and WTA tours who have a point to prove in the new season.
The four players with the biggest points to prove in 2025
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour for the last six years.
He has been ranked inside the top 10 since 2019, but that changed in 2024 when he fell out of the elite group. The Greek player won just 45 matches this season, his lowest number since the truncated 2020 campaign.
The 26-year-old managed just one title in 2024 and has been surpassed by the likes of Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.
He went through a significant change in his team with Stefanos’ father Apostolos no longer being his coach, but with many of the players contouring to get better, Tsitsipas must bounce back in 2025 or risk falling further down the rankings.
Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu returned to the WTA Tour at the start of 2024 following successful surgery on her ankle and both wrists.
However, things did not quite go according to plan for the 22-year-old, who played just 37 matches across the year as she suffered more physical issues.
Raducanu faced criticism for skipping events like the French Open qualifiers, the Olympic Games and crucial events leading up to the US Open, where Raducanu lost in the first round.
Despite her lack of matchplay, Raducanu rose from 285 to 57 in the WTA rankings over the course of the year, and Raducanu has hired fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura to help ensure she can play more matches.
With the new addition to her team and warning that no player would want to see her in their draw, Raducanu will need to back up these actions in 2025.
Holger Rune
Plenty was expected of Holger Rune following his impressive 2022 season which culminated in beating Novak Djokovic to win the Paris Masters.
But he has somewhat regressed since then, and like Tsitsipas, the 21-year-old has also lost his place in the top 10.
The Dane has not won a title since April 2023, and he failed to progress beyond the fourth round in the Grand Slams this past season.
Rune was tipped to be part of a new ‘Big 3’ in men’s tennis alongside Sinner and Alcaraz, but while the Spaniard and World number one have taken their game up a level, Rune seems to have plateaued.
But still only 21 years of age, Rune has plenty of time on his side and 2025 presents him with a fresh start to return to the form that had the tennis world singing his praises.
Maria Sakkari
2024 was another frustrating year for Maria Sakkari. She went through an entire season without winning a title and once again failed to produce her best at the Grand Slams.
She did reach the Indian Wells final for the second time in three years, and lost to the same opponent, Iga Swiatek.
As well as failing to produce the results on court, Sakkari has suffered with a shoulder injury and has not played since the US Open.
Now out of the WTA’s top 10, Sakkari hopes to be back to her best in 2025, starting in Australia, but the road to success is only going to get tougher.
Sakkari ended her 2024 season early by announcing on Instagram : “For the last few weeks, my main focus has been on recovering from my shoulder injury. Unfortunately, due to this, I will have to end my season earlier than planned.
“I will be back stronger and pain-free. Thank you all for your support. It’s been a challenging year, but it has taught me a lot as well. See you soon in Australia.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
