It seems Australian Open victories for Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka set the tone for what unfolded throughout 2024.
Across this year’s four Grand Slam tournaments, Sinner and Sabalenka – two of the sport’s biggest and best ball-strikers – were the top-performing players, according to several metrics (which you can see below).
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Sinner was the only player, man or woman, to reach the quarterfinal stage or better at all four majors this year.
He played, and won, more Grand Slam matches than anyone, and his win-loss record of 23-2 gave him a 92 per cent winning rate, the best of any man on tour.
Sinner earned more than 5000 ranking points at the majors alone in 2024, almost 1000 points more than second-placed Carlos Alcaraz.
Interestingly, Sinner, Alcaraz and Sabalenka all won multiple major singles titles in 2024, the first time since 1982 that three players have achieved this feat in one season. When Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors did so 42 years ago, it was the only other time this has occurred during the Open Era.
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Sinner’s results were part of a broader narrative of Italian success in 2024.
His compatriot Jasmine Paolini won 18 Slam matches this year, equalling Sabalenka for the most among women.
Having never previously gone beyond the second round at a major, Paolini, incredibly, reached the second week of all four, including back-to-back finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
But while Paolini won 18 matches from 22 Grand Slam matches, Sabalenka managed the same number from just 19 outings.
Her 18-1 record at the Slams this year gave her an outstanding winning rate of almost 95 per cent – the best of any player in the game.
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Like Sinner, Sabalenka was a clear leader in ranking points earned at 2024 Grand Slams, despite missing Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury.
And dating back to Wimbledon 2021, when she reached her first major semifinal, Sabalenka has established herself as the most consistently-strong Grand Slam player among women.
While Swiatek has won four major titles to Sabalenka’s three in that same span, Sabalenka leads almost every other statistical category, including matches won (61), winning rate (87.14 per cent), quarterfinals reached (10) and semifinals reached (9).
She has advanced to the quarterfinals in her past eight consecutive Grand Slam appearances, and semifinals at nine of her past 12 Slams.
Sabalenka and Sinner bookended their Grand Slam seasons in style with victories in New York.
They became the first AO singles champions to repeat their triumphs at the US Open in the same season since Steffi Graf and Mats Wilander in 1988.
In partnership with Stats Perform, we spotlight the strongest Grand Slam performers this season, examining matches won, success rates, ranking points earned and stages reached.
Grand Slam match wins in 2024
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WOMEN
Winning % at 2024 Grand Slams
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WOMEN
Ranking points earned at 2024 majors
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WOMEN