Jack Draper, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Jakub Mensik: Which ATP players made big ranking moves in 2024?
Published 26/11/2024 at 18:00 GMT
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With the 2024 ATP Tour season complete, we look at some of the players who made notable moves up the rankings. Among them was Jack Draper, who climbed up to No. 15 in the world after reaching the US Open semi-finals and winning his biggest career title in Vienna. Brazilian Joao Fonesca, 18, also jumped up the rankings while Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard ended an impressive season at world No. 31.
Highlights: Sinner guides Italy to Davis Cup glory against Netherlands
Video credit: SNTV
The 2024 ATP Tour season is finished.Â
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz shared the four Grand Slams between them and Sinner ended the year in style with victory at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup.
Sinner also signed off as year-end No. 1 in the rankings.
But which players made the most notable moves up the rankings in 2024?
Jack Draper (No. 61 to no. 15)
Jack Draper didn’t make the biggest ranking jump of 2024, but he made a significant climb from outside the top 60 to world No. 15.
He also became the new British No. 1 for the first time, ahead of Cameron Norrie.
Draper's move up the rankings came off the back of a strong summer that saw him win his first ATP title in Stuttgart and then make the semi-finals of the US Open.
He followed up by winning the ATP 500 Vienna Open.
"He can get right up to the top of the game, right to the top of the world rankings," said long-time British No. 1 Andy Murray about Draper in June.
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British No. 1 Draper beats Khachanov in Vienna Open final to claim first ATP 500 title
Video credit: SNTV
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (No. 205 to No. 31)
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard capped off an impressive season by winning the biggest title of his career at the Swiss Indoors.
The 21-year-old, who moved up 174 rankings places in 2024, beat Holger Rune and then Ben Shelton to win the tournament.
Perricard won his first career ATP title in Lyon in May and got his first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon where he took out 20th seed Sebastian Korda and reached the fourth round.
He could be seeded at the 2025 Australian Open.
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Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Image credit: Getty Images
Kei Nishikori (No. 352 to No. 105)
At the start of the year there was doubt whether 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori would return to the tour as he continued to delay his comeback from surgery.
But after coming back in Miami, the 34-year-old showed he can still mix it with the best as he reached the quarter-finals in Montreal in the summer.
He was ranked at No. 576 in August but finishes the year just outside the top 100 after a quarter-final run in Tokyo and Challenger title in Helsinki.
Asked about his goals for 2025, he said: "I’m close to the top 100 now, so next goal is top 50 and just keep winning."
Jakub Mensik (No. 167 to No. 49)
Jakub Mensik, 19, broke into the top 100 in February when he reached his first ATP final in Doha, taking out Andy Murray and Andrey Rublev along the way.
He then had a semi-final run in Umag and made the third round of the US Open.
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Highlights: Khachanov ends run of Mensik to clinch Doha Open title
Video credit: SNTV
He finished the year by making the Shanghai Masters quarters, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, and also the Vienna quarters.
"I always thought he had the potential to become one of the best players in the world, and that’s what he’s doing right now."
Mensik ends 2024 ranked at No. 48 in the world, having started at No. 167.
Joao Fonseca (No. 730 to No. 149)
Brazilian Joao Fonseca started the year ranked at No. 730 and moved up to No. 145.
The 18-year-old had his breakthrough tournament in Rio de Janeiro as he beat Arthur Fils and Cristian Garin to make the semi-finals.
He then made the quarter-finals in Bucharest and notched his first Masters match win in Madrid.
He is in contention to qualify for the Next Gen Finals.
Shang Juncheng (No. 183 to No. 51)
From No. 143 at the start of the year, Shang Juncheng is now ranked at No. 51.
The 19-year-old, who has secured his place at the Next Gen Finals, won his first career title in Chengdu in September.
He also reached semi-finals in Hong Kong and Atlanta, as well as the third round at the Australian Open, where he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz also got the better of Shang at the China Open, after which he said about him: "I am sure he is going to climb the rankings. He is going to be better for sure."
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