Carlos Alcaraz had a phenomenal 2022 season for a player in his late teens, but key performance metrics compiled by the ATP prove he's had a better season in 2023 than his last.
The young Spaniard added to his Grand Slam trophy collection by winning a maiden Wimbledon in July, beating Novak Djokovic in a thrilling final. He has amassed six titles overall this season (can still win a few more with two months remaining) which is one more than his previous best year in 2022.
In this article, we shall delve into some of Alcaraz's key performance measures that prove beyond reasonable doubt he's had a far better campaign than in 2022. And two of those performance metrics stood out.
In the ATP Race, which factors points accrued during the course of a calendar season, Alcaraz has garnered 8,175 points, with one-third of the ATP season still remaining. The current total eclipses Alcaraz's points tally from the 2022 campaign in which he finished the year as the No. 1 but with 6,820 points.
Obviously, Novak Djokovic's dominance and veteran's knowhow at the Grand Slams have seen Alcaraz drop down to second place in the race for the year-end No. 1. But it is pertinent to note that, Alcaraz competed in only three of the four Slams this year.
Alcaraz disposingly missed the Australian Open due to injury and succumbed to cramps during the French Open blockbuster against Novak Djokovic that had an anticlimactic finish. Nevertheless, he sits just 770 points below the Serb and could potentially surpass him after the Asian swing.
Alcaraz compiled a 57-13 record in 2022, which equates to an 81% success rate. This is significantly lower than his current winning ratio this season. Alcaraz has a 58-7 record this year, translating to an 89% win rate. His 58 wins are the most by any player on the ATP Tour this season.
With two months of the season still to play, Alcaraz already has one more win than the entire 2022 season. But what makes that record even more impressive is that Alcaraz missed one and a half of the months of the current season due to injury, and only kicked off his year in mid-February on the South American clay.
But that hasn't stopped him from racking up six titles, spread across all three surfaces. His title haul this year is at least one more than his closest challengers Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. As he prepares to headline the ATP 500 event in Beijing, the Spaniard will be looking to better his hard-court record from the previous season. He is five wins shy from matching last year's 26 victories (including indoors).