Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Matt Ebden, John Friends, Max Purcell and Olivia Gadecki have been nominated for the 2024 Newcombe Medal, in recognition of their excellent achievements this yr.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 14 November 2024 | Tennis Australia
Alex de Minaur (NSW), Alexei Popyrin (NSW), Jordan Thompson (NSW), Matt Ebden (WA), John Friends (WA), Max Purcell (NSW), and Olivia Gadecki (Qld) have been nominated for the 2024 Newcombe Medal, in recognition of their excellent achievements this yr.
Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion John Newcombe will current the Newcombe Medal to Australia’s most excellent elite participant for 2024 in the course of the 14th annual staging of the gala occasion on the Palladium Crown in Melbourne on Monday 9 December.
“This yr has been a showcase for unbelievable achievements throughout Australian tennis,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley stated as he praised the nominees.
✨ Class of 2024 ✨
Congrats to our Newcombe Medal Nominees!#Newks24 pic.twitter.com/4PGCnMNpa9
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) November 14, 2024
“Every nominee has delivered excellent outcomes, from breaking into the world’s prime 10 to securing main milestones, Grand Slam titles, and even Olympic Gold medals. These are career-defining accomplishments, and we’re proud to have such excellent ambassadors for Australian tennis on the worldwide stage.
“Tennis Australia is delighted to have fun these outstanding achievements. Our gamers proceed to encourage, and the Newcombe Medal provides a particular alternative to recognise not solely their particular person success but in addition their invaluable contributions to the game.”
The 2024 Newcombe Medal Nominees:
Alex de Minaur
The No.1-ranked Australian loved a breakthrough season in 2024, with a career-high singles rating of world No.6. He claimed ATP trophies in Acapulco and ‘s-Hertogenbosch – he now owns 9 profession singles titles – and made consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. De Minaur’s distinctive kind additionally included a starring function in guiding Australia to the United Cup semifinals in January, earlier than he reached the second week of Australian Open 2024. De Minaur is the primary Australian to achieve the ATP Finals in singles since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years in the past.
He was awarded the Newcombe Medal in 2018 and 2023, and that is his fifth nomination.
“It’s such an honour to be nominated for the Newcombe Medal. That is my fifth time (being nominated) and it’s an unbelievable honour, it means a lot. A lot exhausting work all year long and that is a type of rewards,” De Minaur stated.
“It’s been an awesome yr for me, a yr of many firsts, cracking a number of milestones and a number of targets that I’ve set out with the entire group. I’m extraordinarily happy with the whole lot that has been achieved.
“It’s unbelievable to be a part of Australian tennis and the immense success that’s been had all through the sector by so a lot of my teammates. So many accolades all year long, whether or not it’s Olympic medals, Grand Slams, profession excessive rankings in each singles and doubles, there’s been a lot nice Australian tennis being performed. It’s only a pleasure to be part of it and I’m very completely happy to have been nominated amongst so many worthy nominees.”
Alexei Popyrin
Popyrin has had a stellar yr, breaking into the highest 25 not lengthy after securing his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal. That week in Canada noticed him beat 5 consecutive top-20 gamers – three of whom had been within the prime 10 – and preceded his beautiful run on the US Open, the place he upset defending champion Novak Djokovic to achieve the fourth spherical at a significant for the primary time.
Popyrin’s consistency and development have earned him his second nomination for the Newcombe Medal.
Jordan Thompson
Thompson has remained one in all Australia’s most dependable and versatile gamers, with standout performances in each singles and doubles all through 2024. In singles Thompson loved his finest season but, cracking the highest 30 and profitable his first ATP singles title in Los Cabos. The 30-year-old additionally reached a career-high doubles rating of world No.5 and earned vital ends in the tandem sport, together with the US Open title and Wimbledon ultimate with fellow Aussie Max Purcell, and the Madrid Masters title with Sebastian Korda.
“Being nominated for the Newcombe Medal is a large honour for me. It has been one of the best yr of my profession on each the singles and doubles courtroom and for that to be recognised means lots to me,” Thompson stated.
Matt Ebden
Ebden continues to shine in doubles, beginning 2024 with a Grand Slam title on the Australian Open alongside Rohan Bopanna and turning into world No.1 in February. He and compatriot John Friends went on a surprising run in Paris to assert Australia’s first Olympic tennis gold medal in 28 years. Ebden additionally triumphed on the prestigious Masters 1000 occasion in Miami and performed a pivotal function in Australia’s Davis Cup group, which returned to the Last 8 for the third straight yr.
That is Ebden’s fourth Newcombe Medal nomination.
“I’m very completely happy to be nominated for the Newcombe Medal after a dream yr. To have received an Olympic gold medal, reached the world No.1 rating, win a Grand Slam and a Masters has really been a dream yr,” Ebden stated.
“As a group we have now another massive purpose subsequent week, and that’s to win the Davis Cup, that will be a tremendous approach to end off the yr. It’s been a tremendous yr thus far, and we’re trying to end robust subsequent week to win the Davis Cup for Australia.”
John Friends
One of many world’s prime doubles gamers for greater than a decade, Friends cemented his spectacular credentials by clinching Olympic males’s doubles gold at Paris 2024 alongside Matt Ebden, including to his Tokyo Olympic bronze medal with Ash Barty in blended doubles. This yr Friends received one other two ATP titles – in Basel and Belgrade – after reuniting with former associate Jamie Murray and has been a stalwart of Australia’s Davis Cup group.
That is Friends’ fifth Newcombe Medal nomination.
“It’s such an honour to be nominated for the Newcombe Medal once more. Successful the Olympic gold medal with Matt was actually a spotlight of my profession, and to have the ability to do it with a fellow Aussie made it much more particular,” Friends stated.
Max Purcell
Purcell loved monumental success on the doubles courtroom in 2024, profitable his first Grand Slam title on the US Open with Jordan Thompson after the duo additionally reached the ultimate at Wimbledon. The triumph in New York was one off our doubles titles Purcell clinched with Thompson this yr, and Max additionally cracked the doubles prime 10 for the primary time in September, peaking at world No.8. Recognized for his unbelievable work ethic and aggressive spirit, that is his third Newcombe Medal nomination.
Olivia Gadecki
One of many brightest rising stars in Australian girls’s tennis, Gadecki loved an unbelievable breakthrough season in 2024, advancing to her first WTA singles ultimate in Guadalajara in September – a consequence that catapulted her contained in the world’s prime 100. She received 40 singles matches in 2024 throughout all ranges and in addition excelled in doubles, profitable her first WTA title in Austin alongside Brit Olivia Nicholls to peak at world No.64.
That is the primary time the 22-year-old has been nominated for the Newcombe Medal.
“It’s such an honour to be nominated amongst a number of the finest Australian tennis gamers proper now, corresponding to Alex, Alexei, Jordan, Matt, John and Max. To be a part of this nomination is wonderful and I’m actually wanting ahead to celebrating everybody’s achievements on the Newcombe Medal,” Gadecki stated.
