Will Murray retain his No 1 spot or will Djokovic show who's the boss?
Wednesday 11 January 2017 10:37, UK
We look into our Sky Sports crystal ball and predict what might happen in the world of tennis in 2017. Andy Murray will be aiming to stay No 1, but Novak Djokovic may have something to say about that.
Those old-timers Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will be back on the scene and hoping to make an impact with the Swiss maestro still hoping to add to his 17 Grand Slam titles with Spanish beefcake Nadal out to claim a 15th major.
The Brits will be back in action and hoping to continue their winning success on the circuit with Andy, Jamie Murray and Johanna Konta leading the charge.
And who will be making a major breakthrough 2017? We've put together a few names for you to look out for in the New Year.
As Murray prepares for the new season at his training base in Miami, he will know that he is now the main man to beat in the men's game.
The Brit won Olympic gold in Rio, claimed his second Wimbledon title and became tennis' world No 1 in a remarkable 2016.
He is at the peak of his powers and there is no reason to suggest his golden run should come to an end with the Australian Open title his first aim - he's a five-time losing finalist Down Under.
Murray will be amongst the favourites at the French Open, where he was runner-up in 2016, and then he will be out to retain his Wimbledon crown.
The 29-year-old will head to New York for the final major of the year at Flushing Meadows where it all began in 2012.
Can the British revival continue its remarkable success story next year? Following a first Davis Cup triumph for 79 years and then Murray's stunning 2016, the fairytale has continued.
Konta broke Britain's 33-year drought without a women's Grand Slam semi-finalist and she will now be pushing for a top five year-end finish under the guidance of her new coach Wim Fissette after her split with Estaban Carill.
Fissette, has worked with Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka as well as Kim Clijsters and others, so expect big things from her.
Then there's Heather Watson and Laura Robson who will be aiming to continue their comebacks from an injury-plagued season.
Jamie Murray, meanwhile, will be out to record more doubles success with Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans hoping to make further strides in the men's game after their hugely improved year.
He may not have Boris Becker in his corner anymore, but the Serb will be looking to bounce back to his dominant best after his unravelling in the final six months of 2016.
Before the halfway mark in June, Djokovic completed his historic career Grand Slam at the French Open, giving him possession of all four major titles.
His anxious, impatient and unexpectedly inconsistent play will no doubt return so expect the 12-time major winner to be back to his brutal and brilliant best in Australia where he will be seeking a record-breaking seventh title.
Will Federer or Nadal say goodbye in 2017? The two legends of the game are without a major title to their name for what will be five and three years respectively, so can either of them deliver one final time?
"To have had this six-month layoff, rejuvenated, refreshed, maybe mentally, I needed this rest more than I thought," admitted Federer.
Everyone would surely love to see the great man, who will be 36 in August, lift one final Grand Slam before retiring.
Then there's Nadal, who suffered from major confidence issues on court and was forced to cut his season short due to wrist problems.
"I don't know if I have the chance to win number 15 but I'm going to fight for it," said the 30-year-old. Would anyone back against him?
You heard it here first! The Canadian came of age when he reached the Wimbledon final before that lung-busting ATP World Tour Finals last-four clash against Andy Murray at London's O2 Arena.
He may have fallen just short in 2016, but the New Year will bring about a new challenge for one of the brightest young players of the modern era.
Former coach John McEnroe handed Raonic the confidence he needed to climb into the upper echelons of the men's game, but it's now time for the next step.
Expect him to come very close in Melbourne or New York, but it's Wimbledon where the 26-year-old will eye his first major crown. A huge serve, massive groundstrokes and improved volleying technique means his game is better suited to the grass courts of the All England Club.
Nick Kyrgios and Lucas Pouille may already be well established players, but expect a huge year for the both of the them in 2017.
The 21-year-old Kyrgios has endured a troublesome campaign where his attitude towards the game and fellow professionals were called into question. Expect Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt to be an influential figurehead in his future, starting in the New Year.
Pouille, 22, rose to fame after beating Nadal at the US Open and since that famous victory he has been rising up the ranking at a race of knots.
He's young, hungry, tennis educated and has all the weapons in his game to cause a few more big upsets.
America have been crying out for the next generation of stars to come through after the golden period when the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and their last male Grand Slam winner, Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open.
But in 2017 Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will be two names on everybody's lips. Fritz, 19, was voted the 2016 ATP Star of Tomorrow.
Fritz went from world No 685 to No 155 following an 11-game unbeaten run which saw him win four Challenger titles. He finished the season ranked No 76, slightly down from a career high of No 53 in August.
Tiafoe became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Orange Bowl event at the age of 15 and claimed his first Challenger title before the start of the US Open.
Now, the 18-year-old is eager to inspire other African-Americans to follow him into tennis as the world No 108 looks to make a step up to the big league.
You can see all the action from the ATP World Tour and Masters 1000 series on Sky Sports. Don't forget, you can send us your comments throughout 2017 by tweeting us @SkySportsTennis ... #MastersAtWork.
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