LONDON – Novak Djokovic tightened his iron grip on men’s tennis in 2023 but fans got another glimpse of the sport’s future flagbearers, as Carlos Alcaraz stopped the Serb from sweeping the Grand Slams and Jannik Sinner landed a late blow.
Playing some of his best tennis at 36, and having crossed a record 400 weeks at the top of the world rankings, Djokovic is primed to push for a Golden Slam of winning all four Majors and the Olympic crown in Paris in 2024.
“The drive is still there. My body has been serving me well. The mindset is the same. I’ll keep going,” he said, after clinching his record seventh ATP Finals title.
Djokovic’s supremacy in an extraordinary season helped him equal the injured Rafael Nadal’s tally of 22 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and surpass his old rival at the French Open, crushing a cramping Alcaraz along the way.
But a rejuvenated Alcaraz ended his Wimbledon reign in an epic five-setter to capture his second Grand Slam title and suggest that, after nearly two decades of “Big Three” control, a changing of the guard was imminent.
Those hoping a new era was about to begin would be disappointed, however, as Djokovic lifted a 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open and secured the year-end No. 1 spot at the ATP Finals, where he dismantled Sinner to prevail.
Few would dare bet against the Serb enjoying another stellar season in 2024 but if anyone is going to stop him, it will be the fearless and fast-learning Alcaraz.
The 20-year-old Spaniard will need to remain injury-free and iron out the flaws that derailed him in three of their four meetings in 2023 if he is to go toe-to-toe with Djokovic.
Sinner emerged as another potential threat deep into the season, stunning Djokovic twice in one day at the Davis Cup before masterminding Italy’s triumph.
“Djokovic said he was ready to win the four Grand Slams and Olympic gold, but we’re here to stop him,” Alcaraz said last week, as he looked ahead to an “intense” 2024.
Nadal, a member of the all-conquering triumvirate alongside Djokovic and the retired Roger Federer, will look to add a final chapter to his glittering but injury-plagued career.
The Spaniard on Dec 6 insisted he will be “competitive” when he returns to professional tennis in January after enduring nearly a year out of action due to injury. He had surgery twice in 2023 after struggling with a hip issue.
Nadal, 37, announced last week he would make his comeback at the Australian Open warm-up event in Brisbane, which runs from Dec 31 to Jan 7.
“I don’t know at what level (I will play at), I don’t know what to expect, but I don’t care right now. I’m just happy to be back and with great excitement to have fun and I will be competitive,” he said.
The women’s game was a refreshing contrast to the men’s, churning out four different Grand Slam champions in Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Marketa Vondrousova and Coco Gauff.
French Open champion Swiatek returned to the summit, denying a vastly improved Sabalenka at the end of a gruelling campaign but may find 2024 more challenging, if Elena Rybakina rediscovers her best form and Ons Jabeur steps up her bid for a first Major title.
Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber will also return after their maternity breaks, following in the footsteps of Caroline Wozniacki, with the trio adding spice to the ultra-competitive field.
As a new season beckons, Nick Kyrgios and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu were notable absentees from the Australian Open entry list released on Dec 7.
Kyrgios had knee surgery in January and aborted plans to return at Wimbledon after tearing a ligament in his wrist.
Raducanu, who has accepted a wild card to play at the Auckland Classic, has had a lengthy absence following operations on both wrists and an ankle in 2023 but hopes to be fit for the new campaign. REUTERS, AFP
