Each month, we turn to our ausopen.com experts to give their thoughts on players generating interest.
As the season shifts into its final quarter, we caught up with former world No.4 and Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Sam Stosur to discuss five players building on recent breakout runs or with plenty at stake.
Alexei Popyrin
What a whirlwind two months to build on for Australia’s newest top-25 player, Alexei Popyrin.
Drawing on his first Olympic experience where he impressed with a run to the third round, few had any idea the 25-year-old would depart the North American hard-court swing with a maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy from Montreal and an upset of defending champion Novak Djokovic in New York en route to a fourth-round showing.
As a five-time Olympian and a co-captain of this year’s team, Stosur has an acute insight into the impact on a player’s outlook after competing in the green and gold at the Games.
“Maybe it's just coincidence that he went to the Olympics for the first time and was around that environment, and I know he's been in Davis Cup, but there's something different about being in that Olympic team,” Stosur said.
“You have that tennis team but then you have that greater Olympic team. Really from that event, he played great there and then he went up, up and up. He's obviously very high in confidence now.
“He's always had that ability to have that great one match somewhere and a thrilling five-setter in a Slam but then not be able to back it up. Now he's been able to take that next step.
“I think maybe it's just taking him that little bit of time to fully believe that his tennis is there day in, day out to get those great results. I have no doubt having Demon in Davis Cup and around him helps all the time and it would with all the guys, so I just think it's such an exciting time for Alexei.”
Karolina Muchova
If learning from setbacks is character-building consider Karolina Muchova tough as nails.
The Czech has grappled with more extended injury derailments in recent seasons than most but has remarkably found a way to pick up where she left off soon after coming back.
Following a right wrist injury, which she carried into her US Open semifinal defeat to Coco Gauff a year ago, Muchova did not play again for nine months.
She returned in June following successful surgery and in just her fourth tournament back, made it back-to-back US Open semifinals, downing two-time former champion Naomi Osaka along the way, before surrendering a set and a break to Jessica Pegula for a spot in the final.
“She's made four Slam semis [including the Roland Garros 2023 final] in her career and essentially hasn't played much in the last three years,” Stosur said. “When she's injured she gets quite injured and is out for quite a long time, but positively for her so far it hasn't taken her too long to find that form and get back to a great level and get the huge results.
“Arguably she should have been in the [US Open] final. I was watching that semi and I actually couldn't see any of the third set, but I was shocked that she went down because she was absolutely dominating Jess. Credit to Jess for coming back.
“[Muchova’s] certainly a talent, she's got a really great all-court game. Fingers crossed for her the rest of her career isn't so stop-start because even though she's able to do that and come back quite well, it's not easy to do that forever if you keep battling with these long-term injuries.”
Jack Draper
A year of persistent injury and form struggles had Jack Draper questioning his progress before 2024. Following a maiden tour title at Stuttgart in June, however, his breakout season ramped up several gears at Flushing Meadows in September.
The British 21-year-old’s run to a maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open included a win over - an albeit impaired - 10th seed Alex de Minaur and he was rewarded with a top-20 breakthrough for his efforts, serendipitous timing following Andy Murray’s recent retirement.
“He's been really open about how much Andy has supported him, and Jack's been able to rely on some conversations with him to help him through,” Stosur said. “I think obviously for British tennis now it's fantastic. He's so young and potentially going to be there for a long time.”
Draper admitted nerves contributed to on-court vomiting during his semifinal defeat to eventual champion, Jannik Sinner.
Stosur said it was a huge learning curve for a young player handling such moments.
“There's no way that's the first time he's felt those feelings. Maybe they were enhanced because it was the semifinal of a Grand Slam for the first time,” Stosur said. “He obviously handled it quite well in general…
“All the top players who do it all the time, there's no way they don't feel any anxiety or stress either. It's just they've done it so many times they get so good at handling it, more often than not. You kind of think they're invincible, but I think everyone goes through it.
“I can't imagine if he's dealing with that sort of stuff that he's not trying to get a handle on it or work with someone who can help him kind of deal with those moments.”
Paula Badosa
Such was the severity of a chronic back injury, doctors told Paula Badosa earlier this year her longer-term playing prognosis was not promising.
Following 10 months out and countless hours of rehabilitation, the Spaniard has defied the odds from a low of world No.140 to back inside the top 20 after a stretch that included a first title in two-and-a-half years in Washington, a semifinal at the Cincinnati 1000 event and a US Open quarterfinal.
It was a meteoric return, which Stosur said set her up well for the next year.
“She's won Indian Wells before and been No.2 in the world, so we know that she's capable of being at the top,” she said. “I think for her, knowing I actually have done this before, I've been one of the best players in the world, she's not trying to find something that she's never found before.
“[She can] think, okay if I'm healthy and can get on top of my injuries, and I can play consistently, back-to-back weeks and matches, then I really believe I can do it again.
“I think that's a real positive thing for her. It changes everything from being outside the top 100 to where she is now. She can play any event she wants; she'll be main draw, you don't have to battle through qualies or ask for wild cards or any of that anymore.”
Hubert Hurkacz
Perplexing would be the word that best summarises Hubert Hurkacz’s rollercoaster season to date.
With a Shanghai Masters crown to defend in coming weeks, the world No.8 has plenty on the line to prevent a rankings dip and finish the year on a high.
A season that started well took an out-of-character twist when he suffered a meltdown during a Roland Garros fourth-round exit to good friend Grigor Dimitrov in June.
Wimbledon only brought further misery when he injured his knee after repeat diving on the grass, which forced his mid-match retirement against Arthur Fils in the second round.
Though he returned quickly from the meniscus injury, the Pole compiled a meagre 5-3 record on North American hard courts.
“I remember watching him play at Wimbledon and kind of shaking my head like, where is he all right now? It was really out of the norm from what I've seen in his behaviour and character,” Stosur said. “Obviously, he won those Masters events [Shanghai 2023 and Miami 2021], he's not a player I'd imagine too many of the players would want to come up against early in a tournament.
“Now it's about backing it up. He's had a good couple of years on tour. It's always interesting just to see how a player handles or goes about trying to defend those bigger titles.”