Best male tennis players in the world 2024
Our complete guide to the best tennis players in the world from the men's game in 2024.
Simon Cambers is co-author of The Roger Federer Effect. You can find him on X.
The tennis season is already well under way, with the Australian Open – one of the four Grand Slams – done and dusted and a new men’s champion in Jannik Sinner crowned at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic is still world No. 1, trying to fend off the youngsters, but the vagaries of the ATP ranking system means that the top 10 can and will change on numerous occasions throughout the year, depending on the surfaces they are playing on and current form.
But at least until the end of the year, the top 10 is not always a perfect reflection of what’s happening in the game, and so we’ve put together our own list of the 10 best players on the planet right now, based not only on form but with experience, class, talent and track records all mixed in for good measure.
RadioTimes.com brings you the best tennis players in the world currently playing on the men's tour.
10. Rafael Nadal
You can’t have a top 10 of the men’s game without Nadal, whatever his current ranking. After a year away with a hip injury, he looked good on his return - only to be cautious in his recovery. Nadal turns 38 in June, and says this is likely to be his last year on Tour. But as the clay-court season looms, the Spaniard is a massive threat - and if he’s fit, who would bet against him winning a 15th French Open title?
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9. Stefanos Tsitsipas
The Greek has been a fixture in the top 10 for more than five years now, and has made it to two Grand Slam finals already. He has not quite been at his best of late, with a couple of injuries dogging his progress, but with a superb all-round game, he has the talent and ability to win a big one, if things fall his way.
8. Hubert Hurkacz
Hurkacz will forever be the answer to the quiz question: "Who beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in what turned out to be his last ever professional match?" The Pole has established himself in the top 10 since, and with a massive serve and good net game, grass may well prove to be his best surface. If he maintains his recent form, he’s a live threat to win Wimbledon.
7. Holger Rune
The young Dane is confident, occasionally brash and incredibly driven to be the best player in the world. Already in the top 10, he’s had a few injuries lately, but he’s also shown that he doesn’t care about reputations, with wins over Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner and Medvedev.
6. Alexander Zverev
After suffering a serious ankle injury at the French Open in 2022, Zverev has worked his way back into the world’s official top five, despite off-court controversies. The German has come close in slams several times, but has not quite made it over the line - yet.
5. Andrey Rublev
With a huge forehand and a seemingly insatiable appetite for tennis – he played 26 tournaments last year – the Russian continues to mop up titles on the ATP Tour. Though he’s lost 10 quarter-finals out of 10 in Grand Slams, always finding someone just that little better on the day, he has the game to cause everyone big problems.
4. Daniil Medvedev
After a relatively difficult year in 2022, by his recent standards, the Russian has bounced back of late to be the resilient, durable marathon man we’ve come to know and love. The runner-up in the past two slams, he’s at his best on hard courts - but with his confidence growing, don’t count him out elsewhere either.
3. Carlos Alcaraz
The most explosive player on the Tour and the current Wimbledon champion, Alcaraz can win on any surface at any time. The only question marks for him right now are his body, with a few niggling injuries slowing his momentum. When he’s fit, though, he’s a physical beast and not afraid of anyone.
2. Jannik Sinner
On pure form alone, Jannik Sinner is the best player in the world right now. The Italian’s Australian Open win in January thrust him into the big time - and into what some people are calling a new 'Big 4' with Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. With two titles at the end of last year, he won the Davis Cup for Italy, and he backed up his Australian Open win with another title in Rotterdam in February.
1. Novak Djokovic
Until someone starts knocking off Djokovic regularly at the Grand Slam events, he remains the world’s best player, even with his 37th birthday just around the corner. The Serbian has won 12 of the past 22 Grand Slams, finished last year ranked No. 1 yet again and is chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title. It’s not getting any easier to win the big titles - but he is still the man.
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