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Record Grand Slam titles (24, after successes at the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and the US Open), Masters (7), Masters 1000 (40, with titles in Cincinnati and Paris -Bercy), like the number of seasons finished at No. 1 (8), Novak Djokovic has, in 2023, collected (almost) all the pleasures. In 2023, Djokovic (56 wins-7 losses; 7 titles; best ratio on the circuit) was more than perfect. To sign (he who has been professional since 2003) one of his best seasons. Totally impervious to the passing of time and the weight of the controversies which regularly accompanies his career. Djokovic (98 titles), already ready to attack new records…
Best ranking (4th), first title in Masters 1000 (in Toronto), victory in the Davis Cup, in the wake of an unfortunate final at the Masters, Jannik Sinner who is still waiting for a place in the Grand Slam final has, at 22 years old, changed dimension in 2023. The Italian outwitted Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune. Enough to attack the rest with desire, with the ambition to continue to climb the steps four by four. With the weight of confirmation on our shoulders.
Long hidden behind Caroline Garcia, French men’s tennis has, in 2023, found color. Ugo Humbert (titled in Metz) achieved his best ranking: 20th (after starting the year 108th). Adrian Mannarino (22nd, his best ranking, as in March 2018), won 3 titles and had a full season (43 wins-24 losses) at 35 years old and a big difference, Arthur Fils (36th; 19 years old), titled in Lyon , finalist of the Masters Next Gen, is a player to watch. Like Luca Van Assche (90th), one of the 12 French people in the Top 100 of the ATP rankings. Without forgetting Lucas Pouille, who came out of Roland-Garros qualifying, a beautiful moment of emotion after months of feeling gloomy. A brief return to the spotlight for the former 10th player in the world (329th).
The Spaniard started the year away from the circuit (injured his right leg and withdrew from the Australian Open). Consumed by cramps, he was then unable to fight against Djokovic in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros. Before shining in the most beautiful way by winning the match of the year in the final at Wimbledon, defeating Djokovic 6-4 in the 5th set, at the end of a thriller. His 2nd Grand Slam title (after the US Open 2022). Alcaraz, brilliant, versatile (6 titles in 2023; crowned on clay, on grass and on hard court) who dreams of sharing with Rafael Nadal the Olympic adventure in doubles during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and, before that will be on display for Netflix of a match against his prestigious compatriot, in Las Vegas, on March 3.
An unforgettable year (4 titles). Victorious at the US Open, the American rose to where she was expected. Before becoming the highest paid sportswoman in 2023. At 19 years old. 3rd player in the world (behind Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka), the American resisted the weight of expectation to register as a sure bet. And the one who has cultivated the ambition to be number 1 for many years is part of her daily life as an athlete determined not to limit her influence to the tennis courts.
Claw slashes
The Blues recorded zero points in the second week of the Grand Slam. Such a “performance” had only happened three times in the Open era, in 1969, 1978 and 2021. A presence in the round of 16 is seen as a small feat, now, when it was the norm under the Tsonga era. Without a representative in the top 20 for many months, French tennis cannot dream very high. At the US Open, for the first time only since the 2022 Australian Open, there were two French players among the top 32 seeds (Mannarino and Humbert). Difficult in these conditions to hope to play the leading roles.
The 23-year-old Canadian started the season in 6th place in the world and ended it in… 29th. In distress from March to September, where he failed to win two consecutive matches. He was under threat of dropping out of the top 50 before experiencing a reprieve at the end of the season by winning the ATP 500 in Basel, where he was the defending champion. Too little, too late. His record of 23 victories for 19 defeats is unworthy of his immense potential. It is true that the 2023 season of Frédéric Fontang’s student was disrupted by numerous physical glitches. Rebound expected in 2024.
It all started well with a final at the Australian Open. Then everything gradually went wrong for the Greek who displayed his happiness with his partner Paula Badosa throughout the year. But on the court he was disillusioned. His one-handed backhand, certainly very aesthetic, has become a real weakness this season, targeted by all his opponents. Very mediocre in return as well, he displayed technical weaknesses unworthy of a world top 10. Despite a slightly more encouraging end to the season, the 25-year-old Greek seemed to regress in 2023.
The Norwegian caused a sensation in 2022 by reaching two Grand Slam finals and that of the Masters. A year later, the results are less rosy. The one who would have been world number one if he had beaten Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the 2022 US Open fell to 11th place at the end of the year. If he once again reached a Grand Slam final (Roland-Garros for the second year in a row), his clay court season was disappointing by his standards, and Casper’s second part of the season was ghostly.
The war in Ukraine entered the women’s tables and offered every day, particularly at Roland-Garros, its share of controversies orchestrated by a versatile public. The Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, whose country has been resisting the Russian invasion for a year, has had the bitter experience. Against Belarusian Sabalenka, she did what her compatriots do: not shaking hands with her Russian or Belarusian opponent and ignoring him. Which earned him some inappropriate boos. And it’s not just at Roland Garros where spectators had concerns with geopolitics. After her incredible showdown against the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in the round of 16, the Ukrainian Svitolina did not greet her opponent, who for her part nevertheless waved her racket. And it was the Belarusian who received the whistles as she left court 1, from a public probably unaware of the context…
Also readRoland-Garros: “How can you support a dictator?”, tense exchange between Sabalenka and a journalist