The top rising tennis stars to look out for in the upcoming 2024 season
On both the ATP and WTA Tours there are the usual suspects fighting it out at the top, but also some stars forging a name for themselves.
Flashscore takes a look at some names that could catch the eye in the year ahead.
Shooting stars:
Ben Shelton
A breakout 2023 saw the USA's Ben Shelton show flashes of brilliance and stake his claim as one of the best young players on the ATP Tour.
The 21-year-old captured his first career title at the Japan Open after enjoying a memorable run to the US Open semi-finals before succumbing to Novak Djokovic.
That allowed Shelton to end the year inside the top 20 in what looks to be the start of the Atlanta-born left-hander's rise.
Arthur Fils
Nineteen-year-old Arthur Fils rocketed up the rankings to number 36 in 2023 after ending the year prior at 251.
Fils won a maiden ATP title on home clay in Lyon and claimed solid victories against Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas throughout the year.
The powerful Frenchman hadn't played in the main draw of a Grand Slam until this year and could find himself seeded at the Australian Open if his first few weeks go well.
Jack Draper
Britain's best talent on the men's side, Jack Draper has the tools needed to establish himself as a tough customer.
Draper had hit a career-high of number 38 in the rankings in 2023 before injury hampered his campaign once again.
A fourth-round appearance at the US Open suggests he is on the cusp of really breaking out, but keeping healthy is the 21-year-old's main priority for the new season.
Qinwen Zheng
China's Qinwen Zheng had a stellar 2023 which saw her claim two WTA Tour titles and earn her current rank of 15 in the world.
The 21-year-old won the Palermo Open in July before embarking on a very successful run in her home country, winning the Zhengzhou Open and reaching the Zhuhai final.
Zheng also reached the US Open quarter-finals before falling to finalist Aryna Sabalenka should she improve her record against the top 10, 2024 has the potential to be even better for her.
Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva really caught the eye at Wimbledon when she reached the fourth round after going through the qualifying stage.
Aged just 16, the Russian is a serious-looking prospect and appears capable of recording Grand Slam success in the future.
Andreeva has also shown signs of a fiery streak which can both be a help and a hindrance and already at 57 in the world, the sky appears to be the limit for her.
Emma Navarro
The USA's college system has seemingly produced another talent in Emma Navarro after her solid 2023.
The 22-year-old rose from a 149 ranking up to 32 by the end of the year with a lot of her success coming at Challenger and ITF level.
Navarro's 64 wins over the year suggests there is a good mental toughness to her game which could stand her in good stead for the season to come.
Flashscore tips:
Dino Prizmic
The next big thing? Dino Prizmic drew attention to himself at the junior edition of the French Open, which he won with just one set loss and a commanding 6-1, 6-4 result against Bolivian Juan Carlos Prado Angelo.
Later in the year, the Croatian also gained his first experience on the ATP Tour and reached the quarter-finals of his home tournament in Umag.
He also reached the round of 16 in Stockholm and won his first tournament on the Challenger Tour in Banja Luka.
The 18-year-old's game is characterised by resistance from the baseline and his tremendous speed. We look forward to seeing more of Prizmic, perhaps also on a bigger stage.
Alex Michelsen
Michelsen has already won two finals at Challenger level in the past year. Both in Chicago against Yuta Shimizu and in Knoxville against the experienced Denis Kudla.
The 19-year-old has also reached the final at ATP level, but was unable to get past the experienced Adrian Mannarino in Newport.
In 2024, the "service monster" from Laguna Hills will make another big leap, with the American well on his way to becoming the successor to service legend John Isner.
Luca van Assche
The semi-finalist at this year's NextGen Finals has made a pretty good impression on the tour. In his second season on the ATP Tour, the Frenchman has moved straight up to 66th place.
The 19-year-old was extremely convincing on clay in particular, winning finals against two top players in Pau against Ugo Humbert and Sanremo against Juan Pablo Varillas.
So next year it will be the French Open in particular that he will be looking forward to, but Van Assche is already a force to be reckoned with in Australia in January.
Brenda Fruhvirtova
In 2024, the young Czech will be aiming to break into the top 50. After her first two years as a professional, the younger Fruhirtova sister has already won 15 titles on the ITF Tour, beating big-name players such as Ekaterina Makarova, Noma Noha Akugue and Mona Barthel.
The 16-year-old from Prague is an exceptional talent who is once again a prime example of the excellent work being done in the Czech Republic.
The TEC Waldau player is sure to spring a surprise or two in Melbourne - her career record of 101-19 speaks for itself.
Linda Fruhvirtova
Brenda's big sister has already reached the last 16 at the 2023 Australian Open, after making the semi-finals at Wimbledon in the 2021 Youth Slams.
In June, she was ranked 49th in the world, her highest ranking to date, and there is certainly more to come this year.
After winning over one million dollars in prize money in her young career, Fruhirtova can easily climb into the top 10 and perhaps even shake up the women's tennis world alongside her sister.