On Oct. 27, Jack Draper and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard continued to set the stage for a new era of young tennis stars, claiming their maiden Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 500 titles in the Vienna Open and the Swiss Indoors Basel. Both players won their finals in narrow straight sets, with Draper defeating the experienced Russian player Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-5 and Perricard edging out sixth seed Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6.
Their victories solidified what has been an exceptional year for the pair, as both players captured their first ATP 200 and 500 titles—achievements that position them for an exciting 2025 season, focused on Masters 1000 and Grand Slam opportunities. Perricard’s championship in Vienna culminated his breakthrough season, while Draper’s victory in Basel marked an impressive comeback year following a 2023 season marred by injuries.
Draper had his first standout season in 2022, climbing the ATP Rankings from World No. 265 to 42. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old Brit suffered numerous injuries in 2023, which caused him to drop out of the top 100 at one point during the year. At the end of 2023, Draper set his goal for the 2024 season: a top-20 finish. His triumph in Basel achieved just that, pushing him to World No. 15—a career-high—and capping off a spectacular year. Apart from his victory in Vienna, Draper won his first ATP 250 title in Stuttgart in June. He reached the US Open semifinals in September, where he lost to the eventual champion and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
While Draper’s season continued to cement him as a highly-ranked player, Mpetshi Perricard made a name for himself this year; his victory in Basel sent a strong message to those still unaware of his talent. The Frenchman, standing at 6’8, showed his impressive backhand and unbelievable serve in the Basel championship game, drawing eyes as he hit 22 aces in the final. He defeated Canadian No. 1 Felix Auger-Aliassime, a Montreal native and a two-time defending champion, on his way to the final. Perricard, who only went pro in 2021, soared to World No. 31 following his triumph in Basel, having started the year at No. 205. The 21-year-old also won the ATP Lyon Open in May on home soil and reached the last 16 at Wimbledon in July.
Draper’s and Perricard’s victories further mark 2024 as a transformative year for tennis. Until recently, the Big Three continued to rule Grand Slams and Master 1000 tournaments. Following Federer’s retirement in 2022 and Nadal’s exit this year, Djokovic maintained the Big Three’s dominance, producing a staggering 2023 season in which he won the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and the US Open. Still, for Djokovic, at 37 years old, retirement is on the horizon. 2024 marked the first year since 2002 that one of the Big Three did not win a Grand Slam, signalling a passing of the torch to the younger generations.
The old guard has changed. The Basel Open featured for the first time that the ATP tour had four semi-finalists born in the 2000s. The Vienna Open’s semi-finals featured two 22-year-olds. Draper has set himself as Britain’s new No. 1 following Andy Murray’s retirement this year, and Perricard joins the likes of Arthur Fils as exciting new French talent.
A new era of young tennis talent has emerged, spearheaded by 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and 23-year-old Jannik Sinner who already have multiple Grand Slams to their names. The question remains of who will join them as the third great in this new chapter. Stories play a beautiful role in sports, and fans will quickly look to find a third member to join Alcaraz and Sinner. Draper’s and Perricard’s victories this past Sunday may well position both as potential candidates for that third member of a new Big Three.
