Curious About Kyrgios: Tennis Insights

There is a problem.

Nick Kyrgios will not compete at the 2024 Australian Open. The 28-year-old was not on the entry list for the first major of the season and confirmed on Friday that he will miss the first slam of the year for the second consecutive year. The Aussie played only one tournament in 2023 and at this point, it is easy to become curious about the nature of his injury, his motivation, and his future.

On the bright side, here’s something to cheer about.

New Videos‼ 

We dropped a NEW video going over Carlos Alcaraz’s 2023 season - His rivalries, progress made and records broken, and what to expect going forward. But we are curious to hear your thoughts because not everyone believes he has lived up to the hype so far. Meanwhile, you can expect a video on Jannik Sinner in the coming weeks, so watch this space.

What Happened Last Week?

There were no tournaments last week because we are already in the off-season but we got some big news.

Australian Open 2024 Seeds confirmed

Less than 6 weeks before the tournament, we received the entry list for the players. Several superstars, including former champions Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, and Angelique Kerber, will make their comebacks at AO 2024 using protected rankings for entry. However, they won’t be seeded, which makes them some of the most dangerous opponents for any seed. Seeing a Novak versus Nadal fixture in the first round is a possibility, which really sounds crazy but hopefully, it doesn’t happen.

You can find the full list here.

Ranking Update: The Biggest Movers

The season is already over, so there are no changes in the ranking but here are some facts that you need to know.

• Alex Michelsen jumped up 504 spots, over the course of the year (No. 601 in 2022 to No. 97 in 2023). It is the most in the year-end Top 100.

• Arthur Fils jumped 213 spots (No. 249 in 2022 to No. 36 in 2023). It is the most in the year-end Top 50. 

• Stan Wawrinka is the oldest player in the year-end Top 100 at No. 50. The 38-year-old Swiss entered the 2023 season at No. 148.

Major Tournament Updates 

Australian Open 2024

Nick Kyrgios missing the first slam of the coming year remains the biggest news to date. However, Emma Raducanu is another notable absentee. Raducanu, who has been out of action since April due to multiple surgeries, missed out on the automatic entry list after having a protected ranking of 103. She was also not named among the initial batch of wild cards handed out by the Australian Open on Thursday, which implies that she might have to go through the qualifiers.

HOT TAKES

Who will win a grand slam first among Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas? This question has popped up quite a few times. If you asked me, I might go for Sinner with Alexander Zverev as my second option. Sinner has proven that he can beat anyone and it’s easy to see him as the favorite. But what are your thoughts? Do you have other ideas?

Also, a number of players became ATP title winners for the first time this year - Tallon Griekspoor in Pune, Wu Yibing in Dallas, Arthur Fils in Lyon, Chris Eubanks in Mallorca, Pedro Cachin in Gstaad, and Ben Shelton in Tokyo. Who do you fancy winning more titles in 2024? The obvious choice seems to be Ben Shelton but I’m a little tempted to put Arthur Fils a little bit ahead of him. Well, Shelton gets the nod.

 Do you agree with these takes?

Watch Out For These Guys

Matteo Arnaldi

The 22-year-old Italian won a trio of ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2023, with triumphs in Tenerife, Murcia, and Heilbronn. Arnaldi also earned his first Top 10 victory by defeating World No. 4 Casper Ruud in Madrid, en route to cracking the Top 100. But he didn’t stop at that. Arnaldi’s career hit new heights in New York after he advanced to the fourth round, having defeated 16th seed Norrie along the way before losing against top seed Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. After starting the season at No. 134, Arnaldi hit a career-high No. 41 in October. Not too bad. We think he’s a really exciting player.

Off The Court

Novak Djokovic on 60 MINUTES

Leading tennis journalist Jon Wertheim spent three days on the ground in Belgrade in early November after winning the Rolex Paris Masters and before leaving for Turin. Novak touched on many subjects such as his mental strength as a result of hard work and not talent, his relationship with the other members of the Big 3, and the single most important event that could one day convince him to hang up his racquet. The story airs Sunday, December 10 at 7:30 PM, ET/PT and will also stream on Paramount+.

Alcaraz Turns Trainer

Carlos Alcaraz has been spotted training some guests at a Mexican Five-Star Hotel during the off-season. Alcaraz's Mexican tour began in late November, where he played an exhibition match in Mexico City in front of jam-packed La Plaza de Toros Monumental against Tommy Paul. Just a few days later, Carlitos made the trip to Los Cabos, where he collaborated with the luxurious hotel - One&Only Palmilla - to offer a unique tennis experience through the Spanish management company LUX Tennis. The pay is estimated to be around a whopping $5,000 for a 30-minute private lesson. He shared some photos from the training on his Instagram.

Trivia Of The Week

Did You Know?

The player with the longest winning streak in men's tennis is not a member of The Big 3; It’s someone else. Bjorn Borg went 53 consecutive matches unbeaten between 1977 and 1978. Novak managed 43 between 2010 and 2011.

Before we go, we’ll leave you with some of the best highlights of the week.

Highlights Of The Year

Here are some of the most dramatic moments in 2023.

Until next time, keep some bagels and breadsticks on the menu

For The Love Of Tennis