Bold predictions for 2023 tennis season: No Grand Slams for Carlos Alcaraz? Another Big Four retirement?

Who would have predicted that Carlos Alcaraz would get to No. 1 in 2023 and win his first Grand Slam title? And what about Iga Swiatek reeling off a 37-match winning streak and becoming the dominant force on the WTA Tour?

Making predictions is a tough game.

Alcaraz won’t win a Grand Slam title

Carlos Alcaraz was probably the player of the 2022 season on the ATP Tour, winning five titles, including two Masters events and the US Open, and becoming the youngest No. 1 in ATP history. With his powerful groundstrokes and physical game he is a certified crowd thriller and almost certainly a player to watch for years to come.

In 2022 he came from outside the top 30 to conquer all, beating the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. But his position as the dominant force in tennis does not look set in stone just yet.

Djokovic will be stronger in 2023, Nadal will come again, Zverev too if he’s fit after his injury, Daniil Medvedev should contend, and others like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Holger Rune or Jannik Sinner may rise up.

There seems little doubt that Alcaraz will win more Grand Slam titles in his career, but in 2023?

The Australian Open could be a tough ask as it looks set to be his first competitive event back from injury. At the French Open Alcaraz will likely challenge, but will he get past Nadal, Djokovic or Zverev? Wimbledon is a tall order with so little grass experience, and the US Open…who knows about the US Open. But don’t be shocked if Alcaraz doesn’t win another major in 2023.

Another of the Big Four will retire

Roger Federer’s gone, who’s next?

Djokovic is probably not calling it a day in 2023, but Nadal and Andy Murray seem closer to the end. Nadal revealed in September that he almost retired after winning a record-extending 14th French Open title. “I thought that it might be my last tournament, this is the reality.”

He has since said he will continue to fight on and sounds determined to win more titles, but if he has more injury problems then perhaps he might consider bowing out.

Murray could be facing a pivotal season. He had some encouraging results in 2022 but didn’t finish on a great note and said he was “downbeat” with his performances. If he’s not able to step up another level in 2023 then it would not be a surprise to see him call it a day.

A Canadian will make a Grand Slam final

Canadian tennis is looking in good shape right now.

The men – led by top-20 duo Denis Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime – won the ATP Cup in 2022 along with their first-ever Davis Cup title. Auger-Aliassime also enjoyed an impressive finish to the season as he went on a 16-match winning streak that saw him scoop up three titles.

Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime both hinted at their Slam potential last year when they made semi-finals, while Auger-Aliassime lost in five sets in the second week of both the Australian Open and French Open this year.

There wasn’t as much silverware to show for the women but former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who has recently hired a new coach, and former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez both have potential to get to the top again. Andreescu in particular could be one to watch in 2023 if she plays a more complete schedule than she has over the previous few years.

Andreescu became the first Canadian tennis player to win a major singles title when she lifted the US Open in 2019. Another Canadian could come close – or win – a Grand Slam next season.

Draper will be highest-ranked Brit

Jack Draper’s first season on the ATP Tour was an encouraging one.

There were some big wins – most notably over Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Auger-Aliassime – and a semi-final appearance at the Next Gen Finals in Milan.

Draper has shown that he has the tools to compete with the best. His lefty serve is a big weapon and his groundstrokes can penetrate from all over the court. Now up to No. 42 in the world rankings, the question mark moving forward is probably still over his fitness and whether he is quite ready to slug it out on the ATP Tour week after week. If he is then he should climb further up the rankings in 2023.

Anisimova will win a Grand Slam title

A Grand Slam final feels like it could be close for Amanda Anisimova, who made the semi-finals of the French Open in 2019 and quarters at Wimbledon this year.

The 21-year-old had a solid season in 2022, winning the Melbourne Summer Set in January and scoring some decent wins on her way to several quarter-final appearances. She is a strong, aggressive all-court player and could be one to watch at the Australian Open.

Earlier this year she beat Belinda Bencic and Naomi Osaka in Melbourne before losing to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty in the last 16. She finished the season with a 4-3 record against top-10 opponents and a 9-8 record against top-20 opponents.

Anisimova will be part of a strong American contingent at the Australian Open that includes top-10 players Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, as well as world No. 11 Madison Keys and this year’s Australian Open runner-up, Danielle Collins.

All could be set for strong seasons, but Anisimova seems poised for a big year if she can stay healthy and add a few improvements to her game.

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