ATP 2023 end-of-season awards: Best player, best match, best quote, best comeback, best young player

The 2023 ATP season is over.

Novak Djokovic ruled again by winning three of the four Grand Slam titles and ending as world No. 1. But there were other standout performances, including Carlos Alcaraz winning Wimbledon, and Jannik Sinner elevating his game to another level at the end of the season.

To wrap it all up we hand out our end-of-season awards.

Sinner’s late-season surge was mighty impressive, and he could be in the mix for this award if he can carry his form through to 2024.

Alcaraz had a fantastic first half of the year, winning Indian Wells and Madrid, then going unbeaten on grass to win Queen’s and Wimbledon. But he couldn’t maintain those stratospheric levels and, according to Daniil Medvedev, finished the season looking a “bit slower” and without as much confidence.

Djokovic’s confidence levels might have been dented slightly after losing to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, but he responded emphatically by winning his next 19 matches in a row.

For three Grand Slam titles, another year-end No. 1 finish, and a seventh ATP Finals win, the nod goes to Djokovic.

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury had a strong finish to the year, winning the US Open, Vienna and Nitto ATP Finals.

But Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig had a very good all-round season, and finish it as the top-two ranked doubles player in the world.

They won five titles together in 2023, including the French Open and Monte Carlo, and ended with a 39-15 record.

It’s surely between two Djokovic v Alcaraz clashes.

The Wimbledon final didn’t look like it was going to be a classic after Djokovic raced through the first set 6-1, but it was.

“They have taken tennis one step closer to perfection in every department.”

Just a month later Djokovic and Alcaraz hit the same heights in a Cincinnati thriller.

The longest best-of-three final in ATP Tour history (three hours and 49 minutes) saw Djokovic struggle early with the heat but rebound from a set and a break down, and save a match point, to win a belting contest 5-7 7-6(7) 7-6(4).

“One of the toughest and most exciting matches I was ever part of,” was how Djokovic reflected on it.

The Cincinnati final just takes it.

What comes close to either? Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner in Miami. Sinner v Holger Rune in the Monte Carlo semi-finals. And the early-morning marathon Australian Open clash between Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Djokovic v Alcaraz delivered, as did Sinner v Alcaraz – again.

They played three cracking matches in 2023, just as they did the previous season. Alcaraz got the better of Sinner in Indian Wells but the script was flipped at the next tournament in Miami.

Sinner then improved to 4-3 against Alcaraz with a runaway win in Beijing.

But Medvedev v Alexander Zverev was the sneaky standout rivalry of the year.

“No, I didn’t. I just checked my nails. No, really, it’s nothing more than that. Why would I do that to this beautiful crowd in Paris-Bercy?”

The smirk on Medvedev’s face as he ‘denied’ giving the Paris crowd the middle finger during his walk off court was a picture.

What if Andy Murray hadn’t drawn Alex de Minaur six times (all of which he lost)? How different might he be feeling about his season?

What if Sinner had lost to Holger Rune in the group stage of the Nitto ATP Finals and sent Rune to the semis rather than Djokovic? Would Sinner have won the ATP Finals and had even better finish to the year?

‘Hard-court specialist’ Daniil Medvedev winning Rome was a surprise.

So was Roman Safiullin beating Alcaraz in his opening match in Paris, and who would have had 35-year-old Adrian Mannarino winning three titles this season?

But Felix Auger-Aliassime’s big dip in form was unexpected.

He finished last year at No. 6 in the rankings and appeared on an upward trajectory. But he finishes 2023 at No. 29 after struggling for results and consistency, only twice managing back-to-back wins after Indian Wells.

Gael Monfils didn’t play much in the first half of the season due to injuries but had some good results over the summer before winning the title in Stockholm.

Grigor Dimitrov had a resurgence capped off by reaching the Paris Masters final.

But Zverev had a strong comeback year as he returned to form following the serious injury he suffered in the 2022 French Open semi-finals that saw him miss the second half of last season.

The former world No. 2 started the year slow before regaining his level, winning two titles and qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.

Arthur Fils, 19, has progressed this season and Shelton, 21, has shown he is a big talent, particularly on the biggest stages. Britain’s Jack Draper, 21, should also be up there in the coming years if he can stay healthy.

But Alcaraz, Rune and Sinner (20, 20 and 22 respectively) look like the future of men’s tennis – and if that’s the case everything seems in good hands.

Alcaraz might have had a drop off towards the back of the season but he still looks like the one most likely to take over from Djokovic.

Shelton was playing on the second-tier Challenger Tour at the end of 2022 and had never travelled outside of the United States.

He finishes 2023 ranked at No. 17 in the world, with a first ATP title in his pocket, two deep Grand Slam runs, and a Laver Cup victory.

Shelton is an electrifying watch and could be set for even bigger things next year.