Tennis history is filled with iconic individual seasons, from Rod Laver’s Grand Slam sweep in 1969 to Novak Djokovic’s 2011 dominance. Each of these seasons has set benchmarks for excellence, with a mix of Grand Slam wins, Masters 1000 dominance, and sheer consistency. In 2024, Jannik Sinner added his name to this elite conversation with a season to remember.
But where does Sinner’s remarkable campaign rank among the greatest? Let’s dive into the numbers and comparisons.
The Metrics of Greatness
The greatest seasons are often judged by these factors:
1.Grand Slam Titles: Multiple Slam wins anchor legendary campaigns.
2.Masters 1000 Performance: Success at these prestigious events reflects dominance across surfaces.
3.Overall Record: A high win percentage showcases sustained excellence.
4.Notable Wins: Beating top-ranked rivals adds weight to a season’s legacy.
5.Historical Context: Achievements gain importance based on the strength of competition and records broken.
Sinner’s 2024 Campaign
Jannik Sinner’s 2024 season delivered on nearly every front:
•Grand Slam Titles: He captured the Australian Open and US Open, securing his first multi-Slam season.
•Masters 1000 Success: Sinner won three Masters titles, including Monte Carlo, completing his sweep of the clay Masters events.
•Dominance Over Rivals: He consistently beat Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev, reinforcing his status as the world’s top player.
•Overall Record: Sinner posted an exceptional 78-8 win-loss record.
•ATP Finals Triumph: An undefeated run at the ATP Finals capped his historic year. He swept through the tournament without dropping a single set, a feat that hadn’t been achieved since Ivan Lendl in 1986.
Comparisons to All-Time Great Seasons
Rod Laver, 1969
Laver’s calendar-year Grand Slam remains the ultimate benchmark. His dominance across all surfaces and the pressure of repeating his 1962 feat make it the gold standard of tennis seasons. He won 18 titles and went 106-16 in an era where the top players played more tennis, his 106 wins in a season are nearly impossible for any player to achieve today. Laver’s career began to slump in 1970, but he put together a run in 1969 that can’t be matched today.
Jimmy Connors, 1974
The king of the 1970s, Jimmy Connors won the Australian Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon in 1974 going 93-4 overall. Connors did not lose the French Open, rather he was banned from competing in it as this was a period of tensions between the various governing bodies of tennis over renegade professional tours.
John McEnroe, 1984
American great John McEnroe only lost three matches in 1984, the most notable defeat being from two sets up against Ivan Lendl at the French Open. The only thing keeping this season from being considered the greatest of all time is the circumstances of the men’s tour in 1984, McEnroe won Wimbledon and the US Open, going 82-3 overall, he lost a key Davis Cup match as well, but lifted 13 titles overall when the tennis calendar was different.
Roger Federer, 2006
Federer’s 2006 included three Slam titles, four Masters 1000 wins, and an 92-5 record as he held the number one ranking all year. Sinner’s numbers are comparable, but Federer’s dominance on grass and his unparalleled aura of invincibility give him the edge. The only criticism of Federer’s season was rather a criticism of his opponents, as this period of tennis was often considered the end of the “weak era” before Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic fully formed “the big four”. In 2006, Federer won the three Grand Slam finals in four sets or less, and most notably lost to the King of Clay Nadal at the French Open in Paris. Federer reached six of the seven ATP Masters finals that year. Four of his five losses on the season came against his ultimate rival Rafael Nadal, with the fifth coming against Andy Murray in Cincinnati, Federer did not suffer a defeat to a player who is not considered among the all time greats of men’s tennis. It should be noted Federer basically repeated this feat in 2007, winning three of four Grand Slams for the second year in a row.
Novak Djokovic, 2011
Djokovic’s breakout season featured three Slam titles, five Masters 1000 wins, and a 70-6 record. Notably, he broke the Federer-Nadal duopoly, a feat that parallels Sinner’s emergence in the Alcaraz era. In 2011 Djokovic didn’t lose a match until the French Open semifinals in the Summer (losing to Federer in four sets). The only thing that slowed down his run of results was some fitness issues to end the year as he withdrew from Paris and lost two matches in the ATP Finals. Three of his notable losses after the French Open came via retirement or withdrawal, rather than simply being beaten.
Rafael Nadal, 2010
Nadal’s triple Slam haul at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open, along with three Masters titles, is one of the greatest campaigns in the Open Era. While Sinner’s hard-court dominance was exceptional in 2024, Nadal’s ability to excel on all surfaces gives his season the edge. Nadal compiled a 71-10 record, but he started slowly, not winning a title until the clay court season, with Monte Carlo in the spring. He was perfect on clay, and then went on to win Wimbledon, before surprising many and winning the US Open despite falling before the final in both North American hard court Masters tournaments. Nadal’s season cannot be considered the best, as outside of slams he wasn’t as accomplished, he lost the ATP Finals to Federer and players like Jurgen Melzer, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Ivan Ljubicic had wins against him that year, unlike the best seasons of Federer and Djokovic, he wasn’t completely lights out against lower ranked players, except on clay, where he played invincible tennis.
Andy Murray, 2016
Andy Murray’s 2016 was the finest season of his career. He captured nine titles, including Wimbledon, the Olympic gold medal, and the ATP Finals. He also claimed three Masters 1000 titles and finished with a career-best 78-9 record, overtaking Djokovic for the year-end No. 1 ranking. While Murray’s season was a testament to resilience and consistency, Sinner’s two-Slam year and his strong performance against the top players arguably make his 2024 campaign more dominant. Murray’s greatest season saw him accomplish a lot for British tennis, he lifted the pressure of a nation, and played so well that the hip injuries he later suffered left many to question what he could have achieved if his body hadn’t failed him.
Murray started the spring slowly, losing hard court matches to Federico Delbonis and Grigor Dimitrov at Indian Wells and Miami, he stunned Nadal in the semifinals of Madrid though (falling to Djokovic on clay in three sets), then he defeated Djokovic to win Rome on clay, his worst surface.
The French Open final, and two consecutive titles on grass, doing the Wimbledon+Olympic Gold double was some of the finest weeks of his career. Losing in the quarterfinals to Kei Nishikori at the US Open will always sting, but he did cap the year lifting the World Tour Finals at home in London, a feat that Sinner achieved when he won the ATP Finals at home in Italy.
Where Sinner’s 2024 Ranks
Jannik Sinner’s 2024 season undoubtedly belongs in the conversation for top-10 individual seasons of all time. While it may not surpass Laver’s 1969 or Djokovic’s 2011, it compares favorably to Federer’s 2006 and Murray’s 2016. What sets Sinner apart is his ability to shift the narrative of men’s tennis in just one year, emerging as the face of the sport and signaling a new era. The best part of Sinner’s season is that he didn’t lose to players ranked well below his level, only Carlos Alcaraz, the game’s other current elite player was considered a consistently worthy rival, as the players split Grand Slam titles in 2024 and Alcaraz won all three h2h meetings. Sinner also scored two wins against Novak Djokovic, the all-time great.
As the 2025 season looms, Sinner faces the challenge of sustaining his incredible form. If he continues on this trajectory, his career could become one of the most decorated in tennis history.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
