As Draper and Shelton shine as new stars, Tsitsipas and Rune drop out of contention as ATP stars sit at crossroads

On the one hand, the 2024 has presented new protagonists who enjoy a solid present, as is the case of Jack Draper and Ben Shelton. The Englishman and the American are in excellent shape for the Asian tour, with great victories and very good sensations for the future. On the other hand, there is the irregular season shown by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune, who looked like they would be in the discussion considering what they have done in previous years, but in 2024 they have not had such a good time.

Draper has had an impressive year, reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, where he demonstrated his ability to compete at the highest level. Despite losing to Jannik Sinner, his performance was outstanding and positioned him close to entering the top 20 ranking.

He currently ranks 20th with a total of 2,315 accumulated points. This progress is significant considering that Draper has had to deal with injuries in previous seasons. His title in Stuttgart and his win over Carlos Alcaraz at Queen's are milestones that underline his potential. The Briton has worked on his style of play under Wayne Ferreira, who has advised him to be more aggressive and take advantage of his height to serve with more power. This approach seems to be paying off, as Draper has improved his winning percentage by a wide margin.

Currently ranked 17th in the ATP rankings, Shelton has proven to be a formidable competitor with an explosive style of play. In 2024, he has accumulated a total of 2490 points and has won 33 of 54 matches played. His career has been marked by outstanding performances in major tournaments, where he has shown his ability to beat top-level players.

Shelton is characterized by his powerful serve and exceptional athletic skills, which make him a fearsome opponent on fast courts. As the season progresses, he is expected to continue to improve and establish himself among the best in the world;

Tsitsipas has had a difficult year from all aspects, with irregular performances that have led him to lose consistency in tournaments. He is currently ranked 12th in the ATP rankings, and his performance in the upcoming tournaments will be crucial to maintain his position.

The firing of his father/coach and subsequent poor results have kept the former Roland Garros finalist away from the big stage. Tsitsipas has fallen prematurely at the Olympics and the US Open, in addition to other similar stumbles at high-level tournaments, such as a few days ago, when he lost in the first round of the Japan Open. He will have to recover as soon as possible if he wants to stay close to the top 10.

Denmark's Holger Rune has experienced a remarkable drop in form in 2024. The cards had already started badly shuffled for the current No. 14, as he was defeated in the second round of the Australian Open against Arthur Cazaux. This unexpected result apparently affected his confidence, as he has dropped important points throughout the season and so far in the Asian tour he lost in Hangzhou in the round of 16 and will be looking to overcome that stage tomorrow in Tokyo against the local Nishioka.