Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek clinch 2024 ITF world champion awards

Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Poland’s Iga Swiatek wins ITF world champions awards for 2024. Both players are regarded as one of the best in their respective categories and had a fabulous year in 2024.

Sinner was outright the best player in men’s tennis in the singles category as he finished the year as the world number one with a lead of over 3000 points from second-placed Germany’s Alexander Zverev. He ended up lifting two out of the four Grand Slam titles and finished the year with an ATP Finals title on the home soil. He also helped Italy in defending their Davis Cup title.

On the other hand, there will be a few questions about how Swiatek ended up lifting the award as she lost the top spot in the WTA rankings to Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, who ended up winning two out of the four Grand Slams and subsequently finished the season as the women’s world number one. Swiatek’s major triumph in the season was the French Open, where she defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-1.

ITF President David Haggerty has been quoted in a Daily Mail report as explaining why the award was given to Sinner and Swiatek, where he stated the focus on seeing players' performances in Grand Slams and Olympics. "Last year was a memorable year for our sport with the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games alongside our traditional team events," said Haggerty. "And we see with several of our award winners that representing their country inspired them to even greater achievements in 2024."

Both Sinner and Swiatek are currently taking part in the Australian Open and have cemented their spot in the quarterfinals. The men’s world number one defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune in the round of 16 to secure his spot in the last eight with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. On the other hand, Swiatek outclassed Germany’s Eva Lys in the round of 16 with a score of 6-0, 6-1 to cement her spot in the quarterfinals.