Novak Djokovic was unquestionably the ATP's most dominant player in 2023 in spite of playing in just 12 ATP tournaments.
One stat that superbly sums up Djokovic's record-setting year is that he played 21 times against the Top 10 opposition this season and picked up 17 wins, which is the most on tour this year. Additionally, he won nearly every single big title he competed for in 2023.
Djokovic's greatness wasn't just defined by how many times he beat inferior players but also by how he defeated the cream of the crop. Was this the Serbian's greatest season of his illustrious career? It is debatable, but he was undoubtedly the ATP's MVP in 2023. Here's why:
Year-End No. 1 For An Eighth Year
Novak Djokovic already owned the record for the most year-end No. 1s with seven at the start of 2023. But he faced a real battle to reclaim his throne following the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz as an immediate threat. The World No. 1 ranking changed hands at least seven times during the season, but Djokovic's experience won the day and the year for an 8th time.
Most ATP Singles Titles
As stated at the top of the article, Djokovic played in just 12 ATP events this season, the fewest among the Top 10 players, but still finished with the most titles with seven. Djokovic wasn't winning low-key tournaments, he was filling up his trophy cabinet with almost each of the coveted titles tennis had to offer.
Highest Prize Money Earner
Djokovic's on-court success directly translated into an increase in his bank balances. He earned a mouthwatering $15,952,044 this season, which is the third-highest in his career after the 2015 and 2018 seasons. No player on either tour matched that figure. In fact, Carlos Alcaraz was the only other player who made eight figures in prize money this season.
First Man To Win Three Of Four Slams A Season For Fourth Time
Winning a Grand Slam is one of the hardest feats in tennis. You need more than a skillset and strategy to do so. In 2023, Djokovic reduced the entire field at Grand Slams to numbers. Except for Wimbledon (runner-up), he scooped three of them - the fourth time he's done it in a single season - which is also a record by a male player.
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