Nitto ATP Finals News: Winners and losers from the 2024 tournament

The ATP 2024 season is done. Sure, there is still tennis to be played. The Davis Cup comes up at the end of November. But after Jannik Sinner took home the title - and nearly $4.9 million - by winning the Nitto ATP Finals, we can reflect on who some of the winners and losers were from the final tournament of the year.

2024 was certainly notorious. Tennis fans watched as long-time greats Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem, and Rafael Nadal (his last match will be at the Davis Cup) hung up their rackets. They will probably still be a part of the sport in some way, but they won't be playing professionally. That was the sad part.

The good part was that the two of the best players in the world - and likely the best if they are both in peak form, Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, are only 21 years old and 23 years old, respectively. We are going to see a lot of great tennis on the ATP for many years to come. Now, if they could only be joined by another ascending young player, we could have a new Big 3 for the next decade-plus.

Winners and losers from the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals

Winner: Taylor Fritz

Whether Fritz won or lost the final against Jannik Sinner (he lost), the American was going to be a winner at the Nitto ATP Finals. Getting to the final meant he would reach No. 4 in the ATP rankings once the new ones come out following the event. This would be a career-high for Fritz.

Fritz also became the first American to reach the ATP Finals final since James Blake did in 2006. He continued his recent domination against ATP No. 2 Alexander Zverev as well when he defeated the German in the semifinals - Fritz has beaten Zverev four straight times. No other top-five player can say that.

Loser: Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev not only went 1-2 in his matches at the ATP Finals, but he lost his ranking as well. Maybe he did not care about winning the event. He showed up because he is not one to turn down playing in tournaments he has committed to, but he said after his loss to Taylor Fritz that if the season were already over, he would be happy. He then had to play two more matches.

The Russian has finished the last two years ranked No. 4 or higher, and he has only been ranked outside of the top four once since 2020. Because of his failure in Turin and the success of Fritz, the American is now No. 4. At least, Medvedev knows he makes good runs at the Australian Open normally so his ranking might rise early in 2025.

Winner: Jannik Sinner

While Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner split the four Grand Slams this year, 2024 has truly belonged to the Italian. He will begin 2025 with a huge lead in ranking points, and he also seems to still be ascending. His peak form rivals any player in the history of the sport, especially on a hard court. Plus, he is the first Italian player to finish the year as No. 1.

Sinner's form only dropped slightly due to a hip injury in the late spring (and maybe some stress from knowing he had failed two drug tests at Indian Wells in March), but otherwise, he was the most consistent player on the tour this year. He is still very young, so barring injury, he and Alcaraz are probably going to remain the Big 2 for the next decade.

Loser: Carlos Alcaraz

Likely, Alcaraz could not help how he played in Turin. He was battling an illness which affected his stamina. He even tried breathing tape on his nose, but that only helped so much. The Spaniard did not make it out of the round-robin stage and lost two of his three matches, both in straight sets. Alcaraz struggles, relative to other surfaces and climates, on indoor hard courts and such was the case at the ATP Finals.

The Spaniard finishes the year at No. 3. That is still high, of course, but it's Alcaraz's lowest year-end ranking since 2021. Sinner became his equal in 2024, so a future where only the Spaniard dominates seems unlikely. Plus, Zverev's form is unlikely to fall for the foreseeable future as well.

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