The 2024 tennis season has been a rollercoaster, with significant events shaping the future of the sport. Andy Murray's career came to an end, Rafael Nadal announced his retirement, and Jannik Sinner's story was dominated by doping tests. Novak Djokovic's future is also in doubt, as his motivation wanes. In this Tennis365 guide, we explore the stories that will dominate the agenda in 2025.

Novak Djokovic's Last Push

Novak Djokovic's 2024 has been a curious one by his standards. He achieved his big target by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the sensational Olympic singles final in Paris. However, his motivation issues need to be addressed if he wants to succeed in 2025. Djokovic is the 24-time Grand Slam champion and has surpassed his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He now has a few more targets, such as winning one more Grand Slam to move ahead of Margaret Court and six more hard court wins in majors. His decision to hire former rival Andy Murray as his coach for the Australian Open shows his determination to win another Grand Slam. With world No 1 Sinner potentially missing part of 2025 due to a doping ban, Djokovic has a chance to roar back to the top. Despite being 37 years old, his run to last July's Wimbledon final with a knee injury proves he is still one of the best in the men's game.Verdict: Djokovic to win one final Grand Slam title in 2025.

Emma Raducanu's Big Chance

Emma Raducanu faced criticism in the second half of 2024 due to not playing enough. However, as the 2021 US Open champion, she is well-positioned to make a comeback. She opted out of the Olympic Games and decided against qualifying for the W1000 event in Toronto due to injuries affecting her preparations for the US Open, where she lost in the first round. The final chapter of her season was also ruined by injuries, but her last three matches in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals gave her hope. She is already in Australia with her new fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura and has a real chance of breaking back into the top 20 of the WTA Rankings and possibly even the top ten if she has a good start to 2025."I want to play more than I did this year," said Raducanu. "I think now, with my set-up, I'm in a place where I can continue working on the road. So I don't necessarily need to come back to continue good physical work. I can do it pretty much every day, like microdoses. And I think that's actually going to be a great addition for me next year, which I'm excited about. Also with my tennis, I'm in a pretty good spot. I feel like I just want to see how much I can do and fulfil my potential. I'm curious about what my level can get to. I really want to play more. And I think a big part of that is just staying healthy."Verdict: Raducanu will get back into the top 20 of the WTA Rankings… if she can avoid injuries.

Jannik Sinner Suspension Confirmed

Jannik Sinner tested positive for an anabolic steroid in March, but an independent tribunal determined he was not at fault and imposed no punishment. The tribunal accepted his explanation that the banned substance entered his body through a massage from his physio who used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their finger. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking to impose a ban of up to two years on the 23-year-old Italian.The initial round of doping appeals at the CAS comes up in early February, and Sinner's name is not on that list. This suggests his case will be heard in the European spring, and any suspension at that stage will have a massive impact on his year. Even a three-month ban in April would take him out of contention for the French Open and Wimbledon, and a six-month ban would effectively end his season. Sinner had a sensational second half of 2024 with big wins at the US Open, ATP 1000 events, and the ATP Finals. While WADA chiefs have admitted the issue of detecting banned substances needs to be addressed, it may not be enough to save Sinner. History shows that WADA's stance that an athlete needs to take responsibility for all substances in their system is usually upheld by CAS, and it is likely that Sinner will face a suspension. He can be confident of avoiding the one to two-year ban WADA is pressing for, and it remains to be seen whether he will be allowed to continue playing while appealing against any ban, as he was allowed to do earlier this year.Verdict: Sinner is very likely to face a ban, but it will not be as long as WADA are pushing for – and he could have it overturned on an appeal.