Novak Djokovic holds the record with seven number 1s of the year, leaving his idol Pete Sampras with six. Novak’s biggest rival, Rafael Nadal, bets on the Serbian to get his eighth number 1 of the season, and chooses him as the favorite for the best player of the season!
Djokovic has been a player to beat in 2023, winning all 12 of his matches and adding 2,250 points to his tally. Novak failed to play two Majors and four Masters 1000s in 2022. In addition, he missed out on a well-deserved 2,000 Wimbledon title points.
Despite this, the Serbian finished the year in the top five, 2,000 points behind leader Carlos Alcaraz. In 2023, things have changed dramatically for Novak, who returns to the Australian Open and secures his 10th crown at Melbourne Park.
In addition, Djokovic will be able to compete at the US Open in September and take the points at Wimbledon, which will allow him to keep all his rivals behind him. Novak lost the Roland Garros crown to Nadal last June. Since then, the Serb has won six out of seven tournaments and suffered just one loss at ATP tournaments.
Djokovic closed out the 2022 season with the ATP Finals crown, adding 1,500 points to his tally and earning himself the chance to return to world No. 1 this season. Novak conquered Adelaide in early 2023, saving a match point against Sebastian Korda and lifting the 92nd ATP trophy from him.
The Serb suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg, not knowing what to expect from the Australian Open. After the first three rounds, things were not looking good for Novak, who was struggling but still advancing to the round of 16.
The Serb brought a doctor from Belgrade to Melbourne, and everything went well after that. Novak disposed of Alex De Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Tommy Paul in straight sets to clinch a place in his tenth Australian Open final.
Seeking his 22nd Major and the ATP throne at age 35, Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in two hours and 56 minutes to write the record books and become No. .1 of the world.
Carlos Alcaraz praises Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz has hailed World No.
1 Novak Djokovic for his extraordinary level of performances. “He has no weaknesses. Every shot, it’s amazing,” Alcaraz told ATP. “His physical condition is amazing; his mental condition is amazing. He’s like a God, and I admire him over the years staying at the same level, staying at the top.
It’s really, really difficult, and I admire that. It has been a long time (I spent) at No. 1. Now it’s a goal for me to recover No. 1 and try to do my best in these tournaments to be back on that number. I’m looking for that,” Alcaraz said.
