Olivia Gadecki became Australia’s No.1 woman in singles after reaching her first WTA final, among several highlights for the Queenslander in a memorable season.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 4 December 2024 | Matt Trollope
Year in review
One of the brightest emerging stars in Australian women’s tennis, Gadecki enjoyed an incredible breakthrough season in 2024.
Her year truly got going when she hit the grass courts, beginning with her run to the semifinals of the ITF 100 tournament in Surbiton. She subsequently qualified for Wimbledon, and from June to September won 23 of her 32 matches.
Her biggest result was advancing to her first WTA singles final in Guadalajara in September – a result that catapulted her inside the world’s top 100, and made her Australia’s highest-ranked woman in singles.
RELATED: Seven Aussies nominated for Newcombe Medal
She hit a career-high ranking of world No.83 in October, having been ranked 172nd just two months earlier. This improvement allowed her to change her schedule and compete for the first time in the WTA’s Asian swing.
Sitting down with Australia’s new No.1 WTA singles player 👋
Olivia Gadecki is the latest Aussie success story of 2024 🎧 https://t.co/Q6r3CarVU1 pic.twitter.com/rNhxzk0Owd
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) September 23, 2024
Gadecki won almost 40 singles matches in 2024 across all levels and also excelled in doubles, winning her first WTA title in Austin alongside Brit Olivia Nicholls to peak at world No.64.
She made her Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games, representing Australia in both singles and doubles.
Newcombe Medal history
This is the first time the 22-year-old has been nominated for the Newcombe Medal.
Reaction
“It’s such an honour to be nominated amongst some of the best Australian tennis players right now, such as Alex, Alexei, Jordan, Matt, John and Max,” Gadecki said.
“To be part of this nomination is amazing and I’m really looking forward to celebrating everyone’s achievements at the Newcombe Medal.”
The Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards will be held on Monday 9 December at Melbourne’s Palladium Ballroom.
Follow along on Tennis Australia’s social channels as the evening unfolds using the hashtag #Newks24.
Find out more about the awards, including award categories and previous recipients.
