Tennis New Year Specials: Changing of the guard in 2024?

The new year is just over the horizon and brings with it a brand new season of tennis.

Both the ATP and WTA threw up plenty of fascinating storylines in 2023 and more twists and turns are expected in 2024.

Ahead of the new seasons, here is a look at some of the specials markets on offer and a selection of bets worth considering.

Carlos Alcaraz to win 2+ Grand Slams - 5/4

Novak Djokovic was once again the standout player on the ATP tour in 2023 but it was a pretty impressive campaign from Carlos Alcaraz as well.

The Spaniard made his mark on more than one occasion throughout the year, having won his first Wimbledon title after an epic five-set final with Djokovic.

Alcaraz led the way in the ATP world rankings for most of the season and also recorded his 100th career victory in 2023.

If the year taught us anything, it is that Djokovic's powers are not yet waning but it is asking a lot for the Serbian to monopolise the Grand Slams again and Alcaraz is a worthwhile selection to win at least two Grand Slams in 2024.

The Spaniard not only won Wimbledon in 2023 but he was also a semi-finalist at both the French Open and the US Open.

Injury prevented him from featuring at the Australian Open but he is set to feature in Melbourne in 2024 and looks set for an even better campaign this time around. He is 5/4 to win at least two majors in 2024.

Jannik Sinner to reach 2+ Grand Slam Finals - 9/2

Away from the obvious pair of Djokovic and Alcaraz, one player who showed particular signs of promise on the ATP tour in 2023 was Jannik Sinner.

Not only did Sinner become the first Italian man to hit 60 wins in a single season but he also led his country to their first Davis Cup triumph in 47 years.

The season also featured a run to the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the Italian is worth backing to go a step further a couple of times in 2024.

Sinner has never before reached a Grand Slam final but has been knocking on the door for some time and climbed to number four in the ATP rankings in 2023, so looks ready to mix it with the very best. The Italian ace is 9/2 to make at least two Grand Slam finals in 2024.

Aryna Sabalenka to win 2+ Grand Slams - 5/2

All the talk is about Iga Swiatek in the women's sport but there is a strong argument to be made that Aryna Sabalenka is the most consistent player on the WTA tour, especially when it comes to Grand Slams.

The Belarusian-born talent won her maiden Grand Slam title in the form of the Australian Open in 2023 but was also a semi-finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon and was runner-up at the US Open.

And if that was not enough, she also made the last four at the WTA Finals.

Unlike Swiatek who has shown an aversion to the hard courts, Sabalenka has impressed on multiple surfaces and looks overpriced at 5/2 to win another couple of Grand Slams in 2024.

Coco Gauff to win WTA Cincinnati - 7/1

The upcoming season could be a big one for Coco Gauff.

Although still only 19, there has been pressure on Gauff for some time to make her major breakthrough - but that is exactly what she did at the 2023 US Open.

Having crashed out at Wimbledon in the first round only two months earlier, Gauff had a new coach in Brad Gilbert and was looking for a response at Flushing Meadows, where she made history by becoming the first American teenager to win the Grand Slam since 1999 - five years before she was born.

It feels like a case of when and not if she dominates the season's Grand Slams and, while more major success could await her in 2024, punters could be better-placed backing her to win the WTA Cincinnati at 7/1.

In both the women's and men's specials markets for 2024, there is the option to back players to win specific events with Djokovic 5/6 to win the Paris Masters, Alcaraz 6/5 to win the Madrid Masters, and Swiatek 9/4 to win the China Open, amongst others.

And Gauff could be a worthwhile pick to defend her title at the Cincinnati Open, otherwise known as the Western and Southern Open.

She loves the hard surface and has shown she thrives on her own patch, having beaten Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-4 in the 2023 final.