The 2024 tennis season began in style with a host of big names claiming singles trophies. Alongside the United Cup, which was won by Germany in dramatic fashion, two WTA Tour events and two ATP Tour tournaments were also on the schedule for the first week of the new year.
The tour-level singles champions were Coco Gauff in Auckland, Elena Rybakina and Grigor Dimitrov in Brisbane, and Andrey Rublev in Hong Kong.
Gauff successfully defended her Auckland title to open her season with a trophy for the second year running. The reigning US Open champion entered 2024 at a career-high WTA ranking of world No. 3 behind four titles last season, including her first Grand Slam in New York and her maiden WTA 1000 triumph in Cincinnati.
After cruising through to the final without dropping a set, Gauff battled back against Elina Svitolina for a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 win in Sunday's final. By beating the 2023 WTA Newcomer of the Year, the American clinched her seventh career tour-level singles title.
"I think today level-wise was definitely not my best match or best level this week, but sometimes when you win when you’re not playing your best, it makes you feel more satisfied," Gauff said after the final. She will now have one week on the practice court before the Australian Open, where she has twice reached the fourth round (2020, 2023).
Speaking of the Aussie Open, the Brisbane women's singles final was a rematch of the 2023 final at the year's first major. Flipping the result from last year in Melbourne, Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka, 6-0, 6-3, to complete the perfect start to her season.
"Despite the score, it's always tough to play against you," Rybakina said after improving to 3-5 against Sabalenka. "We always push each other and I think that's great. We improve this way, so hopefully we continue."
By winning her sixth tour-level crown at the WTA 500, the Kazakhstani leapfrogged Gauff for the No. 3 ranking and the third seed at the Australian Open.
Dimitrov joined Rybakina in the Brisbane winners' circle, winning 10 consecutive sets after losing the opening frame of his tournament against Andy Murray. After a three-set victory against the 2012 US Open champ, the 32-year-old Dimitrov embarked on a dominant run to the final and ultimately beat top seed Holger Rune, 7-6(5), 6-4, in Sunday's title match.
The former world No. 3 is up to No. 13 in the ATP rankings thanks to his first title since the 2017 ATP Finals.
Rublev rounded out the list of singles champions with his Hong Kong success. The top seed at the ATP 250, Rublev reached the final behind three-set wins against Arthur Fils and Shang Juncheng and claimed the title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Emil Ruusuvuori.
The fan favorite will now turn his attention to the Australian Open, which is set for its first-ever Sunday start on Jan. 14 in Melbourne. Rublev enjoyed his best year at the majors in 2023, reaching the quarterfinals in Melbourne, Paris and New York. He has reached nine major quarterfinals, the first of which came at the 2017 US Open, but he remains in search of his first Slam semifinal.
