Tommy Paul has played some excellent tennis over the course of 2024, achieving unquestionably the best results of his career so far. The American captured three tour-level titles at the Dallas Open, the Queen’s Club Championships, and the Stockholm Open, and the world #12 also enjoyed a number of other deep runs.
That includes a runner-up finish at the Delray Beach Open, where he fell to compatriot Taylor Fritz, and semifinal appearances at the Indian Wells Masters and Italian Open. His season also featured quarterfinal finishes at the Adelaide International and S-Hertogenbosch as well as notable runs to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics, where he lost hard-fought matches to Carlos Alcaraz.
The push for a strong 2024 campaign was fueled by Paul’s ambitions to build on his lack of success in the previous years. Although he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2023, his only prior ATP title had been in Stockholm in 2021. Winning three titles in a year marked a significant sep-forward for the American. The triumph at Queen’s Club was particularly special, his most prestigious title to date and propelled him back to his career-high ranking of #12.
The question for Tommy Paul now is where he goes next. He has for sometime been something of an understudy to Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and perhaps even Sebastian Korda. But whilst Fritz – currently ranked fifth in the world – clearly still has the edge, Paul is fully deserving of his top 15 ranking and position as American #2.
His win-loss record of 45-19 reflects the hard work and strategic shift he adopted this season, characterized by a more aggressive playing style that has translated to success across all surfaces. Paul also enjoyed success in doubles in 2024, pairing up with Fritz for the United States in Paris to win bronze.
Paul’s development was reflected by his late season form, not least in Stockholm where he built momentum over the course of the week and ultimately clinched his third title of the year, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in straight-sets in the final and secured his fourth top 10 victory of the season in the process. Paul has demonstrated a newfound maturity and aggressive mindset. His aim is now to become the American #1 and to consistently compete with the best in the game.
But can he continue to develop his game over the coming year, particularly when it comes to adding greater firepower? Paul certainly has the fundamentals, but whether he has the ‘X-factor’ to crack the top 10 and regularly challenge for majors remains to be seen.
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
