It is tennis award season time, so we sat Gigi Salmon, Tim Henman, Laura Robson and Jonathan Overend round a desk to debate who wins high honours in 2024.
There are six classes with winners from the ATP and WTA Excursions, so with out additional ado, let’s will get right down to handing out the prizes…
WTA Participant of the Yr
Aryna Sabalenka battled previous Jessica Pegula in straight units as she gained the US Open for the primary time in her profession
Robson: Aryna Sabalenka: Profitable Aussie Open, profitable US Open, you’ll be able to’t ask for way more.
Gigi: Sabalenka is year-end No 1 for a cause. She’s the most effective participant on the planet. She is joyful on court docket and off court docket.
Henman: I agree with all the pieces that has been stated… thus far!
Overend: It is Aryna Sabalenka – in fact it’s! Who else might there probably be? The one different candidate may very well be Jasmine Paolini.
Sabalenka gate-crashed Gigi and Robson to verify they have been saying good issues about her on the WTA Finals
ATP Participant of the Yr
Highlights of Jannik Sinner victory over Taylor Fritz within the last of the ATP Finals in Turin
Henman: Jannik Sinner profitable the Australian Open and US Open. It is his Grand Slam breakthrough and he is completed No 1 by fairly some margin.
Overend: The best way he obtained to No 1 after which consolidated his place. We’ll see extra of his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz in 2025. Sinner is much and away high of the rating pile, not simply in Grand Slam achievements, however mopping up on the ATP Tour.
To do what he did in the summertime with all the pieces that was occurring in his life was very, very spectacular.
Watch Alcaraz and Sinner in an hilarious ‘who is aware of one another higher’ session on the ATP Finals
Gigi: I’ve additionally gone for Sinner however the clincher for me was how he dealt with himself in the summertime.
Robson: I’ve gone for Alcaraz purely primarily based on the summer season he had by profitable the French Open and Wimbledon. Then straight after that, he obtained to the Olympic last and he was very near coming house with a gold medal.
Sky Sports activities Tennis displays on Sinner’s eventful 2024….
ATP Match of the Yr
Highlights of the Japan Open last between Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert
Overend: It was the Tokyo last between Artur Fils and Ugo Humbert. Fils beat the No 1 seed Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Holge Rune. He in some way performs the set of his life to win the title.
Robson: I’ll go Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz within the Olympic last. It was the most effective best-of-three I’ve ever seen in my life. The spotlight reel was uncontrolled. Each of them have been crying on the similar time.
Highlights of the record-breaking opening spherical thriller between Dan Evans and Karen Khachanov from the US Open
Henman: I’ll go for Daniel Evans and Karen Khachanov on the US Open. Evans had gained so few matches going into it. He was two units down after which simply refused to provide in. He was 4-0 down within the fifth with treble break factors after which gained six video games in a row. It was the longest match in US Open historical past!
Gigi: I am going Alcaraz beating Sinner within the Beijing last. They completely deliver out the most effective in one another.
Highlights of the China Open last between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
WTA Match of the Yr
Robson: I am going Paolini and Donna Vekic within the Wimbledon semi-final – a monster match! The opposite one was Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka within the Madrid last.
Highlights of an unbelievable Madrid Open last between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka
Gigi: I’ve additionally gone for Swiatek and Sabalenka in Madrid. I used to be stood courtside for that and we simply saved one another considering ‘that is unbelievable, can it get even higher?’ But it surely saved getting higher. It was mind-blowing.
Henman: I adore it when these rivalries develop in sport and that is why it was my alternative as properly.
Overend: It was my alternative as properly. I hope it is not, however I felt prefer it was the height of their rivalry.
ATP Level of the Yr
Highlights of the Shanghai Masters semi-final match between Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz
Overend: I am going to provide you with a recreation when you can have chosen any of the profitable pictures – the ridiculous recreation between Djokovic and Fritz within the Shanghai semi-final at 2-2.
Robson: I’ve gone Fritz and Alexander Zverev on the US Open. I feel it was the fourth recreation of the second set and it was a brutal level.
Hugo Gaston in some way hit an unbelievable backwards overhead winner in opposition to Alex de Minaur…
Henman: I’ve to go along with Sinner and Alcaraz from Miami. It seemed like an arcade recreation!
Gigi: I’ve gone for Hugo Gaston in Antwerp in opposition to Alex de Minaur. It has been seen thousands and thousands of instances.
WTA Level of the Yr
Robson: I am going Karolina Muchova on the US Open – shot behind the again. I feel it was in opposition to Katie Volynets.
Henman: Muchova is among the favorite gamers to look at. She has a lot selection, which is why I agree with you.
Karolina Muchova performs a behind-the-back lob and wins the purpose!
Gigi: I used to be alongside the strains of Muchova and Volynets. I simply hope Muchova stays match and wholesome.
Overend: We’d like extra Taylor Townsend in our dialogue. It was deep in her lengthy match that she performed in opposition to Elena Rybakina in Miami. The defence she obtained into, then a lob adopted by a searing forehand winner.
ATP Shock of the 12 months
Jacob Fearnley is already as much as 89 on the planet after profitable a heap of ATP Challenger Tour titles
Henman: Jacob Fearnley. He is a high 100 participant now however I did not see it occurring for him that rapidly.
Overend: I believed this was the 12 months Zverev was going to interrupt his Grand Slam duck.
Robson: The Sinner medicine take a look at. It is what everybody was speaking about on the US Open.
Gigi: It was the bees at Indian Wells!
Lance Davis, generally known as the ‘Killer Bee Catcher,’ saved Indian Wells by hoovering up all of the bees that invaded the principle stadium court docket
WTA Shock of the 12 months
Overend: Jasmine Paolini. She was 30 within the 12 months after which gained Dubai, reached the ultimate of the French and Wimbledon, and gained Olympic doubles gold. Now she’s at a career-high No 4.
Gigi: Sure, similar! It is astonishing and I actually hope she continues her run in 2025.
Jasmine Paolini got here from a set right down to defeat Anna Kalinskaya within the last of the Dubai Tennis Championships
Robson: Paolini is most improved however the shock for me is Lulu Solar making the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Henman: Sonay Kartal profitable a 250 and breaking the highest 100. I believed that was simply good!
Most improved participant
Highlights of the ultimate between Jack Draper and Karen Khachanov on the Vienna Open
Henman: It is Jack Draper. I’ve no drawback in singing his praises. He was actually struggling final 12 months with accidents however he had a few good outcomes to complete 2023 however the best way he is come by means of, profitable a tour title, first Grand Slam semi in New York.
Robson: Contemplating final summer season he missed that complete grass-court season. He was so gutted about it however we will now see what he is able to and he is been capable of do it constantly as a result of he is wholesome, which has been an awesome signal and lengthy could that proceed.
Gigi: Jack Draper for me and he is such a stunning younger man.
Highlights of an exciting US Open semi-final between Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper
Coach of the Yr
Jack Draper and coach James Trotman put together for Wimbledon
Henman: I am going for ‘Trotters’ – James Trotman. He is put within the arduous yards when issues have not been going so properly. He is proven a clever head to verify they transfer in the best path.
Overend: For Jack to say ‘I like simply the one voice and that voice goes to be James Trotman’ – that claims lots.
There’s dwell tennis from the ATP Subsequent Gen Finals on the King Abdullah Sports activities Metropolis in Jeddah between 18-22 December, earlier than the 2025 United Cup from 2am on December 27 staged in Perth and Sydney.
