2024 was a yr filled with milestones for Canadian tennis gamers. Kids Gabriel Diallo and Marina Stakusic grabbed the highlight, displaying their promise because the potential subsequent main stars for the Nice White North.
Nevertheless it was not simply in regards to the youngsters as even a few of Canada’s extra skilled gamers had been nonetheless capable of break new floor.
Because the season involves an in depth, let’s look again at a few of the milestones achieved by Canadians in 2024.
Profession Years
Gabriel Diallo
Diallo confirmed some flashes of his potential throughout his first yr as knowledgeable in 2023, however he made main strides in yr two.
The primary breakthrough of the yr got here in Might when he certified for his first Grand Slam major draw, successful three three-setters in a row to qualify for Roland-Garros. He then caught fireplace in the summertime, at one level happening a seven-match successful streak that included his third ATP Challenger Tour title in Chicago.
He hit new heights on the US Open, coming by qualifying as soon as once more and this time scoring his first match win in a serious major draw over Jaume Munar. He adopted that up along with his fourth win over a High 30 opponent, knocking off No. 24 Arthur Fils in spherical two to succeed in the third spherical of a serious for the primary time, the place he misplaced to No. 14 Tommy Paul in 4 tight units. Diallo was the final Canadian standing in singles in New York.
After qualifying for the Masters 1000 occasion in Shanghai, Diallo had his greatest run at a tour-level occasion on the ATP 250 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Canadian beat back-to-back High 40 opponents to succeed in his first ultimate on the ATP Tour. He was narrowly edged out within the title match by world No. 26 Karen Khachanov, ranked practically 100 spots above Diallo, in a decent three-set ultimate.
On account of the finals run in Almaty, Diallo jumped into the High 100 of the ATP rankings for the primary time, even briefly overtaking Denis Shapovalov because the No. 2 Canadian within the ATP rankings. He’ll end 2024 at No. 86, his career-high rating.
Marina Stakusic
Stakusic was within the highlight heading into the 2024 season after ending 2023 with a bang on the Billie Jean King Cup.
The 19-year-old continued to make strides this yr, making her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon after coming by qualifying to succeed in the principle draw and getting her first WTA 1000 match win on dwelling soil on the Nationwide Financial institution Open in Toronto.
Like 2023, Stakusic saved her greatest outcomes for the autumn. In September, she reached her first tour-level quarter-final on the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open, upsetting prime seed and then-world No. 12 Jelena Ostapenko within the second spherical for the largest win of her profession by rating. The next month, she got here by qualifying on the WTA 125 occasion in Tampico, Mexico and claimed the largest title of her profession to this point.
On account of the win in Tampico, Stakusic hit a career-high rating of No. 116 on the planet. She is projected to complete just under that mark, however it is going to nonetheless be her greatest year-end rating by effectively over 100 locations, having entered 2024 at No. 258 on the planet.
Gabriela Dabrowski
2024 was one other huge yr for Canada’s greatest doubles participant.
A yr faraway from changing into the primary Canadian to win a Grand Slam title in girls’s doubles, Dabrowski grew to become the primary Canadian to each attain the ultimate and win the title on the WTA Finals in any self-discipline.
July was a robust month for the Ottawan, as she reached one other main ultimate at Wimbledon, which springboarded her to a career-high rating of No. 3 on the planet. By successful the title in Riyadh in November, she was capable of end the yr at No. 3, her best-ever year-end rating.
Additionally in July, Dabrowski grew to become the primary Canadian lady to win an Olympic medal in tennis, claiming bronze within the blended doubles with Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Rebecca Marino
Coming into 2024, Marino had by no means gained a title above the W60 degree. By the tip of the yr, she had lifted 4 singles trophies, all of which eclipsed that mark.
In February, she gained her first ITF W100 title in Guanajuato, Mexico. In July, she added a second in Ilkley, United Kingdom. On dwelling soil in Calgary in October, she picked up a W75 title, which was larger than something she had gained previous to 2024.
Marino then completed with a bang, scoring her first title at a WTA-sanctioned occasion in October on the WTA 125 occasion in Midland, Michigan. It was the largest singles win of her profession to cap off a yr filled with milestone wins. A month prior, the veteran had additionally gained her second WTA 125 doubles title, matching her career-best end result.
The next gamers at the moment ranked contained in the High 500 additionally hit their career-high rankings in 2024.
*Participant additionally projected to have highest year-end rating
**Participant anticipated to complete 2024 at career-high rating
Liam Draxl: ATP doubles No. 142(Nov)**, ATP singles No. 233 (Oct)*
Ariana Arseneault: WTA doubles No. 149 (Nov)**
Alexis Galarneau: ATP singles No. 153 (Might)
Bianca Jolie Fernandez: WTA doubles No. 170 (Oct)*
Cleeve Harper: ATP doubles No. 175 (Nov)**
Kayla Cross: WTA doubles No. 180 (Nov)**, WTA singles No. 269 (Nov)*
Mia Kupres: WTA doubles No. 185 (Nov)**
Kelsey Stevenson: ATP doubles No. 196 (Might)
Benjamin Sigouin: ATP doubles No. 200 (July)*
Stacey Fung: WTA singles No. 222 (Feb)
Juan Carlos Aguilar: ATP doubles No. 242 (Jan)
Carson Branstine: WTA singles No. 252 (Nov)*
Victoria Mboko: WTA singles No. 284 (Oct)
Cadence Brace: WTA singles No. 314 (Oct)*
Doubles Delight
The 2024 WTA Nationwide Financial institution Open in Toronto was a giant one for the host nation in doubles, even past the truth that Dabrowski reached the ultimate.
5 Canadians (six when you rely Dabrowski’s companion Erin Routliffe who was raised and educated in Canada however represents New Zealand) participated within the quarter-finals, together with two all-Canadian groups. That was essentially the most complete Canadians and all-Canadian pairs within the final eight of the Nationwide Financial institution Open because the match grew to become a WTA Tier I occasion, the precursor to the present WTA 1000 degree, in 1990.
The Fernandez sisters, Bianca Jolie and Leylah Annie, reached the semifinals, changing into the primary all-Canadian workforce to succeed in the ultimate 4 in simply over a decade.
Ariana Arseneault and Mia Kupres had their breakthrough, reaching their first tour-level quarter-final on the WTA 1000 occasion. It was a part of a breakthrough yr for the tandem who gained a pair of ITF titles collectively on dwelling soil in Granby and Saskatoon and reached their first WTA 125 ultimate in Midland in November.
Each all-Canadian squads had been overwhelmed by Dabrowski and Routliffe, who completed because the runners-up.
Learn additionally: Canadian Doubles Steal the Present in Toronto
The Missile Landed (A Lot)
Milos Raonic solely performed 11 matches in 2024, however he nonetheless managed to make his presence felt.
Within the first spherical of the cinch Championships on the Queen’s Membership in London, the Canadian delivered a efficiency for the historical past books, actually. Raonic confirmed that his serve continues to be top-of-the-line on the planet, blasting 47 aces previous Cameron Norrie in an upset of the previous Wimbledon semifinalist.
The 47 aces had been essentially the most ever hit in a best-of-three match.
200-Win Membership
Canada’s prime two males each scored their two hundredth profession win on the ATP Tour in 2024.
Félix Auger-Aliassime did in first, beating Botic van de Zandschulp within the second spherical of the Italian Open in Might to turn into the second Canadian man after Milos Raonic and the second man born within the 2000s after Jannik Sinner to succeed in the milestone.
Denis Shapovalov adopted swimsuit in October, defeating Lorenzo Sonego within the first spherical of the Shanghai Masters to turn into the third Canadian to attain 200 wins. The end in Shanghai kicked off a robust fall for Shapovalov, who went on to win his second profession title in Belgrade in November.
First 1000 ultimate for FAA
2024 was not an amazing yr for Auger-Aliassime total, however he nonetheless managed to submit some career-best outcomes.
On the Madrid Masters in April/Might, the Montrealer caught fireplace. Whereas he did profit from a draw that fell aside round him, Auger-Aliassime didn’t let his alternative slip away, reaching the primary Masters 1000 ultimate of his profession. The run included a win over world No. 6 and two-time Roland-Garros runner-up Casper Ruud within the fourth spherical.
By reaching the Madrid ultimate, Auger-Aliassime grew to become the third Canadian man to succeed in a Masters 1000 singles ultimate together with Denis Shapovalov (Paris 2019) and Raonic (4 occasions) and the primary to take action on clay.
Auger-Aliassime got here near changing into the primary Canadian to win a Masters 1000 singles title, taking the primary set of the ultimate with Andrey Rublev and being two video games away from victory in each the second and third units. Ultimately, he was narrowly edged 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.
Within the earlier 5 Masters 1000 singles finals, the Canadian males had solely mixed to win one set (Raonic within the 2020 “Cincinnati” ultimate). The Madrid end result was the primary of a number of robust showings for Auger-Aliassime on clay in 2024, together with a spherical of 16 look at Roland-Garros, a fourth-place end in singles and his bronze medal win with Dabrowski on the Paris Olympics.
