For The Glory

The offseason is here, but a couple team trophies need to be handed out first. Also, a former slam finalist has announced a return to the tour.

As always, there is plenty to discuss, so let’s get into this week’s topics, presented by SuckerPunch! 🥒

Nick Kyrgios Is Coming Back In 2025. Thoughts?

Last Thursday, former world no.13 Nick Kyrgios announced that he will make his return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International, one of the Australian Open lead-up tournaments in January. 

Kyrgios has only played one tour-level match since the start of the 2023 season. The Australian has been sidelined with wrist and knee injuries that he has struggled with since the 2022 US Open. 

Nick’s biggest career achievement came when he made a run to the Wimbledon final in 2022, his first slam final, eventually losing to Novak Djokovic in a four-set final. 

In addition to Brisbane, Kyrgios plans on playing an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in mid-December. 

When speaking with a Melbourne TV station on Friday, Kyrgios was excited about his return to the tour, saying “honestly this is probably the best I’ve felt in two years… I am feeling fit and healthy, and I am excited for my return to tennis”.

At his best, Kyrgios can beat any player in the world. It has been consistent performances, injury concerns, and overall motivation that have halted him from reaching his full potential so far in his career. If the 29-year old can stay healthy and get back to playing his best tennis, he will become a real contender again. But, we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.

What’s The Dill???

Welcome to the What’s The Dill portion of this week’s newsletter, brought to you by SuckerPunch! Every week we will feature the best question(s) asked on our “What’s The Dill” post which can be found under the Community tab on the Courtside Tennis YouTube channel.

Again, with the season winding down, there aren’t as many breaking news stories, so here is another question from a previous community post:

This question comes from @AaravGupta-hx9lk:

This fan wants to know if Daniil Medvedev will win another slam.

While there are a plethora of factors that go into winning a Grand Slam title, there are a few things Meddy can work on to improve his chances.

Medvedev’s game often relies on a defensive baseline approach, using his court coverage and counterpunching to wear down opponents. While this has been effective enough to keep him among the top players, his lack of consistent aggression is often exposed against players like Carlos Alcaraz & Novak Djokovic. Those two are also great defensively, but also have the ability to take the initiative more frequently.

One way Daniil can improve his overall aggression is by improving his net play. He has shown an increased willingness to come to the net in recent years, but it is not a fully integral part of his game yet. 

Adding more variety to his game could also go a long way. Utilizing more drop shots, slices, and possibly even serve-and-volley strategies could help further distrust his opponents’ rhythm. 

Meddy has also been known to show some emotional volatility in high-pressure moments on court, or sometimes a dip in motivation. Staying composed in these crucial moments could be the difference in these close matches that he sometimes finds himself on the losing end of. 

These days, it is more than likely that you will have to go through either one or both of Jannik Sinner & Alcaraz if you want to win a slam. Daniil and Sinner met three times in the slams this year, and Jannik won twice. When Meddy beat Sinner at Wimbledon, he then lost to Alcaraz in the next round. Finding a way to beat those two will likely be essential if he ever wants to hoist a slam trophy again.

Daniil Medvedev is already a Grand Slam champ with a game built for consistency. Fine-tuning his aggression, adding some tactical variety, and managing his emotions will all be crucial in a return to the winner’s circle. With his unique style and existing strengths, it’s all about making small, but meaningful adjustments.

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Who Won Last Week’s Tournaments?

Jannik Sinner has officially put an end to an incredible 2024 ATP Tour season with a title at the ATP Finals.

The world No.1 raced through group play, not dropping a set in those matches with wins over Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, & Daniil Medvedev.

Sinner continued that fine form in the semifinals, dominating Casper Ruud in just over an hour 6-1 6-2. 

In the final, Jannik once again faced off against Fritz. The American went 2-1 in group play, defeating de Minaur & Medvedev. In the semis, Fritz played a three-set thriller against Alexander Zverev, eventually getting the win 6-3 3-6, 7-6 (3). 

Sinner was just too good this week though, beating Fritz 6-4 6-4, the same score he beat him by in the group stage. 

The Italian capped off an incredible season in style, winning 2 slams, the ATP Finals, and finishing the year with a 65-6 overall record. This year will be hard to top, but if anyone can do it, it’s surely Jannik Sinner.

Who’s Playing This Week?

The final event of the 2024 season will be the Davis Cup Finals, and it promises to be one to remember.

Rafael Nadal will be contesting his final professional event on home soil in Malaga. The 22-time Grand Slam champ will suit up in Spanish colors, looking to help Spain win its first Davis Cup title since 2019. 

Rafa will be joined by world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz, and many fans will be hoping to see the return of Nadalcaraz at some point during the week.

Team Italy is the defending champion and the favorite to repeat with world No.1 Jannik Sinner leading the way.

However, Team USA is sending a strong squad that consists of Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, & Tommy Paul.

Germany will have the ATP Finals doubles champions Kevin Krawietz & Tim Puetz, Argentina has Francisco Cerundolo, & Australia will lean on Alexi Popyrin. Also, Denis Shapovolov & Felix Auger-Aliassime will lead the charge for Canada.

Also, the Billie Jean King Cup has reached the semifinal stage. Italy & Poland face off in Monday’s semifinal, while Slovakia & Great Britain will contest the other semifinal on Tuesday. Canada, the defending champions, were knocked out in the quarterfinals by the Brits. Team USA was upset in the first round by Slovakia.

Italy, led by Jasmine Paolini, is the winningest country remaining with 4 previous titles. Rebecca Sramkova will look to help Slovakia win its second title, and first since 2002. Iga Swiatek & Katie Boulter are hoping to guide Poland & Great Britain to their first ever titles, respectively.

Rankings Watch

Here are some of the top movers in this week’s rankings:

Men:

• Raphael Collignon #122 (+20)

• Borna Coric #92 (+5)

• Mattia Bellucci #100 (+4)

• Taylor Fritz #4 (+1)

Women:

No tournaments this week

In Case You Missed It!

As always, there were plenty of hot shots and great rallies in last week’s tournaments.

Check out some of the best shots from the ATP Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals!

One Last Thing!

Once again, If you guys want your questions answered in next week’s newsletter check out the post in the Community tab of the Courtside Tennis YouTube channel. You can also email us, drop them in the discord, or leave a comment on our most recent Youtube video. Make sure to put Courtside Digest before the comment so that way we can find it more easily. Thanks!