Best Young Tennis Players In 2024: Rising Stars To Watch

Make way for a new generation of tennis stars. As the big names that we associate with the sport transition into the final years of their professional careers, with some already hanging up their rackets for the final time, there’s a phenomenal line-up of new, young and fiery talent coming through.

Rafa, Federer and Djokovic were among some of the most successful and revolutionary players the game’s history has known, but sadly for all of us fans we won’t be able to watch them play the big tournaments forever.

BUT fear not, because these rising stars are certainly re-shaping the sport and are giving spectators something to look forward to for the future. With a mix of dominant yet beautiful styles of play, resilient and charming personalities and close rivalries, we’re embarking upon a set of exciting individuals to dominate tennis in the coming years.

Let’s take a look at some of the rising stars in tennis and the best young tennis players of the moment.

Carlos Alcaraz: Spain’s next prodigy

The man that doesn’t really need an introduction since he stormed onto the scene in the past few years, beating some of the world’s top players to win the biggest tournaments on the planets. Carlos Alcaraz has surprised many with his youthful age yet demanding ability to dominate the courts.

His breakthrough came in 2021 when he won his first ATP title at the Croatia Open, showcasing his powerful groundstrokes and tactical acumen. His first Grand Slam title came in 2022 when he was only 19 years old (!) at the U.S. Open where he beat Casper Ruud – this made him the youngest male to achieve the No.1 position in the ATP singles rankings.

2023 was a pivotal year for Carlos, with a highlight being the British grass court season. He claimed victory at the cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club in June over Alex De Minaur, helping him to return to a world No.1 ranking at just aged 20. A few weeks after this win, Alcaraz listed one of the most coveted and desirable trophies in tennis – The Championships, Wimbledon. His final match was against none other than Novak Djokovic, and the match was a spell bounding moment that really said “I mean business and I’m here to stay”! He has truly stolen the hearts of tennis fans worldwide and he is sure to be one of the greats in tennis history as he gets older. He’s confirmed to play at the 2024 cinch Championships, and we’re certain he will make a statement once again at Wimbledon in July.

Holger Rune: Denmark’s rising talent

Rune’s style of play combines elements from the two legends: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. With agility, precision, and tactical intelligence, he is a tantalising player to watch and his name is one that has been buzzing around the tennis world. While this is a recipe for greatness, it’s not the only thing that sets the Dane apart as a rising star to look out for.

He made his Grand Slam debut in 2021 at the U.S Open where he faced one of the world’s best – Novak Djokovic – and has been rising up in the rankings ever since to prove his worthiness on the global tennis circuit. He has claimed four ATP Tour singles titles, including the Masters 1000 title at the 2022 Paris Masters and put in his best performance for his main draw debut at the 2022 French Open, reaching the quarterfinals. He also won the 2022 Munich and Stockholm Open. He had a career high ranking of No.4 in August 2023 and is one that will be fighting to claim a top five ranking back again soon.

Jack Draper: Britain’s hot shot

One of Britain’s most promising rising talents. Jack Draper has been consistently improving his game over recent to make a name for himself and work his way up the rankings.

He reached a career high in January 2023 of world No.38, and in May 2024 reached a new high of No.35 at just the age of 22. Jack became the youngest British player to win three ATP Challenger titles in just two months and reached the fourth-round of the U.S. Open in 2023, suggesting he’s in touching distance of breaking out amongst the top players. After a number of injuries in the past year, his priority will be keeping healthy and training hard to ensure he performs to his best against some of his toughest competition. We will certainly see more of Jack in years to come, who will have the support from the home crowd if he makes it into the draw for the Rothesay International Eastbourne, the cinch Championships and The Championships, Wimbledon!

Ben Shelton: America’s young guns

The US player has been described to have a brutal style of play, thanks to his explosive forehands and rapid serves reaching 150mph. He can cover the court exceptionally well and is often compared to the great Rafael Nadal, with his left-handed play and ability to stay calm and thrive in high-pressure moments.

He claimed his first career title at the Japan Open in 2023 after reaching the U.S. Open semi-finals the month before – making him the first American player to reach the last four in the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2003. He’s thought to have the most potential than any other American tennis player by none other than the legendary John McEnroe – that’s certainly a compliment!

Jannik Sinner – Italy’s first World No.1 player

The Italian player shone in the 2023 season, beginning the year ranked world No.15 and ending it as No.4. He has a strong mental, physical and conditioning training programme to keep him at his optimal best when facing his toughest opponents. Interestingly, Sinner started his sporting career as a champion slalom skier and has now transitioned to become a champion in tennis.

Sinner has had great success in major tournaments recently, defeating world No.1 Alcaraz in the 2023 Miami Open semi-finals for starters. He reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2022, followed by leading Italy to the Davis Cup later that year. 2023 saw multiple titles including ATP Masters 1000 Canada, Beijing, Vienna and Montpellier. In 2024, Jannik clinched the Australian Open men’s singles trophy after defeating third seed Daniil Medvedev, making him the first Italian player to win an Australian Open single’s title in the Open era, and at just age 22 was the youngest player to secure a Grand Slam for his country. He recently became the World No.1 during the 2024 French Open, making his Italy’s first No.1 player!

Don’t sleep on this dynamic player – he’s got so much more to prove.

Coco Gauff: The young history-maker

Coco Gauff – a name that we’re pretty sure you know by now. She has been winning the hearts of many for a while, but her performance in 2023 set her apart as a sure star for years to come.

Her three-set victory over the world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to win her first U.S. Open title was quite something. This final generated more viewers than the men’s final! Gauff achieved her career best ranking at the end of 2023, claiming the No.3 spot and is sure to be a No.1 rankings holder sometime soon. She made history when she joined fellow American players (Chris Evert, Serena Williams and Tracy Austin) who all won Grand Slam title as teenagers in the Open Era – a seriously young age to be winning such immense tournaments!

Iga Swiatek: A No.1 force

The Polish born player has stolen the limelight in recent times thanks to her multiple title wins and rapid rise to the top, making her phenomenal entrance as the next generation of women’s tennis stars. With a playing style that can only be described as powerful, potent and precise, it’s the perfect concoction for tennis success – the titles and stats show!

There are some big titles to Iga’s name at such a young age. She has won the Roland Garros French Open Grand Slam a total of four times (!), in 2020, 2022, 2023 and now most recently 2024. In 2022 she also won the U.S. Open defeating Ons Jabeur. It was also in 2022 and 2023 that she started and ended the year as No.1, and in May 2024, Swiatek’s ranking was still world No.1 at just age 22. She’s a star already but is definitely going to keep getting better and better as she gets older – let’s see what she can do at Wimbledon 2024.

Emma Raducanu – Britain’s fairytale star

Storming onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2021, Emma was ranked outside the top 300 and entered the Grand Slam as a wild card player. She reached the fourth round and won the hearts of many, quickly becoming a household name and was poised to be the next British tennis star. Her fairytale story continued at the US Open, where she beat some of the top players including Belinda Bencic, Maria Sakkari and Leylah Fernandez to win the tournament (without even dropping a single set!) at age 18.

Her miraculous success at such a young age suggests that she’s only just getting saturated. Raducanu has been confirmed to play at the Rothesay International Eastbourne in June 2024 and is bound to work to make her Wimbledon campaign one to remember. She’s a British player that will give us huge success in years to come.

These young stars bring a refreshing dynamism to the sport, blending traditional skills with modern athleticism. Their journeys are just beginning, but their impact is immense across the tennis world. As they continue progress and challenge for the sport’s biggest titles, tennis fans can look forward to a new era of thrilling battles and unforgettable moments to come through their captivating styles of play. The court is set, and the future stars are ready to shine. Will you be joining us for a VIP experience to watch these tennis stars make history? Explore our Rothesay International Eastbourne, cinch Championships and Wimbledon Official Hospitality now.