An Exciting Year of Tennis – 2024
Tennis Talk by Mary Ringle
Let’s start with the Grand Slams, the most coveted titles in the sport. The Australian Open served us well in January; hopefully, you caught some of the excitement on ESPN. The next Grand Slam will be the French Open (Roland Garros) starting May 20th, on clay courts, followed by Wimbledon’s prestigious grass court tournament in England between July 1st -14th. The Grand Slam season ends with the US Open on August 26th, which wraps up coincidentally on my birthday (September 8th)! What better way could there be to celebrate?
The Masters 1000 series is critical for players who want to move up in rank. Across the calendar year, men and women play nine tournaments that can offer significant ranking points and prize money. The games are hosted on various continents, on various court surfaces minus the grass court.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals bring together the year’s top eight men’s singles players and doubles teams in a thrilling climax of the season. Known for its high-stakes intensity, this event will determine who will take the coveted number-one ranking for the year. The format has a round-robin play followed by knockout stages. These games are scheduled throughout the year. The ATP 250, ATP 500, ATP Masters 1000, and finally the ATP Finals make tennis a year-round sport.
Similarly, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals brings together the top female players battling to secure their spots. Mirroring the format of the ATP Finals, the WTA Finals are the grand finale of the women’s tennis season.
This year, the Olympic Tennis Tournament will be held on the clay courts at Roland Garros in Paris, beginning with the Paris Olympic Games on the first weekend of the competition. Men’s and women’s singles preliminary matches start on July 27th. The women’s singles final is set to be played on August 3rd, while the men’s singles final is set for August 4th. Doubles competitions will be held for men, women, and mixed teams between July 27th and August 4th. You won’t want to miss these final matches that determine who will take home the gold.
Let’s not forget the Paralympics Tennis Tournament. Designed to mirror its Olympic counterpart, this tournament brings together athletes with physical impairments or disabilities. Their extraordinary skill and determination result in riveting matches that display triumph over adversity. Wheelchair tennis is played at all four Grand Slam tournaments, including the grass court at Wimbledon.