With the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour finished for the 2023 calendar year and the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) tour coming to a close with the Nitto ATP Finals, players are using the off-season to rest, relax, and recuperate for the upcoming 2024 season. For seasoned professionals like Novak Djokovic, maintaining peak physical form is a top priority. For younger players like Jannik Sinner, it may be using Formula Medicine to unlock the next piece of their game that could take them to a coveted Grand Slam title.
For tennis fans, the off-season is a perfect time to get familiarized with the future faces of professional tennis. Below are some up-and-coming tennis stars who might find 2024 to be a year of success and progression.
Ben Shelton
At just 21 years old, the future looks bright for Ben Shelton. Just one year after turning pro, the Georgia native is now ranked No. 17 in the world on the Pepperstone ATP rankings and recently won his first ATP tour-level title at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. Shelton captured the attention of sports enthusiasts and Americans across the country with his deep run into the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open where he was defeated by the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic. He’s also become a fan favorite for his “dialed in” celebration that he credits to his friend and three-time track and field world champion, Grant Halloway. Shelton’s semi-final run at the US Open makes him the first unseeded American semifinalist since Robby Ginepri in 2005.
Qinwen Zheng
Sitting at No. 15 on the WTA Singles Rankings, Qinwen Zheng’s career trajectory has only ascended since her professional debut in 2021. She was named the WTA’s Newcomer of the Year in 2022 and made her deepest run in a Grand Slam tournament at the 2023 US Open. Zheng’s quarter-final exit came at a loss to world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Having dabbled in multiple sports as a child, including table tennis, Zheng decided to take her talents to larger surfaces after witnessing one of Roger Federer’s classic performances. At eight years old, Zheng moved away from her parents to advance her tennis education and development. Not long into the transition, Zheng would witness Li Na make history as the first Asian-born tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title at the 2011 French Open.
Mirra Aleksandrovna Andreeva
Within the WTA’s top 100 singles rankings, Mirra Aleksandrova Andreeva is the youngest professional at 16 years old. As the current world No. 46, she is ranked higher than her older sister, Erika Andreeva, who has yet to crack into the top 100. Andreeva made her WTA debut at the 2022 Jasmin Open and, after one year, broke into the WTA top 100 after making it to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon. By reaching this milestone, Andreeva became the youngest player since Coco Gauff to make it this far at the All England Club.
Sebastian Korda
Sebastian Korda quite literally has tennis legacy in his blood. His father, Petr Korda, won the Australian Open in 1998, and his mother, Regina Rajchrtová, had a career-high world No. 26 WTA ranking. Twenty years after his father won the Australian Open, Korda would do the same as a junior. He’s currently ranked No. 24 on the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal this year after defeating compatriot Ben Shelton at the Shanghai Masters. Korda’s biggest wins of his career so far have come against world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev, whom he defeated twice in 2023.
The first Grand Slam of the calendar year is the Australian Open, which will begin on Jan. 14, 2024. Until then, the young pros will be hard at work this off-season to compete for points in 2024.
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