The eight things we loved about 2023 – Eurosport

With Roger Federer retired and Rafael Nadal injured for a long time, the end of the “Big 3” was ratified this year. And with it the disappearance of duels between extraterrestrials. Or so one might think. But Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his formidable advent in 2022 by making life difficult for Novak Djokovic. If stress cramps got the better of him at Roland-Garros, his epic revenge on the grass of Wimbledon after five sets has already made him part of the legend of Spanish tennis.

And what about the Serb’s revenge in Cincinnati, saving a match point in the process, a month later in a peak of dramatic, physical and tennis intensity? During this period, the two men seemed to evolve in their dimension and sometimes practice a different sport than the others. By teaching his young rival a lesson in Turin, Djokovic has clearly regained control. Enough to motivate Alcaraz for 2024.

In 2022, women’s tennis had found a boss. In 2023, rivalries have arisen at the top for our greatest pleasure. If Iga Swiatek finished world number 1 for the second consecutive year, she was jostled and for a time overtaken by Aryna Sabalenka who also had the best overall results in Grand Slams by always reaching at least the last four (title at the Australian Open, semi-finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, final at the US Open).

During the first part of the season, Elena Rybakina, titled at Wim’ in 2022, rose to their level, which pushed some people a little hastily to talk about the women’s “Big 3”. But others have also cemented their position in the elite. Ons Jabeur once again did wonders with his atypical tennis made of slices on grass, Coco Gauff confirmed her star status, while Jessica Pegula established herself as a sure bet. The homogeneity, variety and quality of the tennis offered were affected. In short, the best players in the world delighted us this year.

Some will consider that there were excesses. And they will be partly right, particularly during the 2nd round between Taylor Fritz and Arthur Rinderknech which saw the public cover the post-match reaction of the victorious American with their boos. Certain traditional codes then got a little lost.

But how can we sweep away these fiery atmospheres at Roland-Garros to support the Blues even if they quickly left the tournament? The electricity was palpable in the first week and we can see a transfer of what we were used to seeing in the Davis Cup before its reform. A sweet madness that also feels good.

It is also part of this solid Top 10 mentioned above. If the Parisian spectators were still kept in suspense at the end of the Parisian fortnight, Karolina Muchova is largely responsible. Not necessarily very well known to the general public, the Czech had before this Roland-Garros 2023 a reputation as a head cutter. She showed that when her body left her alone, she could compete at the highest level with her exquisite technique and attacking panache.

Her victory against Sabalenka in the semi-final constitutes one of the strongest tennis moments of the year and her heroic resistance against Swiatek whom she made doubt until the end in the final – while she suffered a break and a late set – set the Philippe-Chatrier court on fire. Precisely measured serves, forehand accelerations, chiselled rises in backhand slices, well-hit volleys: the entire classic repertoire is covered there. A delight.

He seems born for the spotlight and the “show”. Already a surprise quarter-finalist at the Australian Open, Ben Shelton caught fire again in front of his audience at Flushing Meadows. The young American, who had won very little otherwise before the summer for his first full year on the circuit, delighted with his great serves, his explosive left arm and his charismatic smile.

Hanging up an imaginary phone to celebrate each of his victories in New York, he amused as well as burst the screen. So much so that Novak Djokovic himself, after stopping him in the semi-final, resumed the celebration. Tribute for some, provocation for others, that spiced up the tournament whatever it was!

The outcome? Three titles in Washington, Cincinnati and the US Open – his first Grand Slam –, 18 victories in 19 matches during a crazy North American tour which recalled the one accomplished with “A-Rod” twenty years earlier . And the Gauff phenomenon became a star at 19 and a symbol, that of the legacy of Serena Williams and the revival of US tennis. And to think that she still has a lot of room for improvement…

In the country of “Calcio”, making the front page of sports newspapers when you are not a footballer is not given to everyone. And Jannik Sinner achieved it in the wake of a crazy end to the season. His presence and his performances at the Turin Masters magnified the event, giving it a unique atmosphere, greeted by Novak Djokovic who fell under his blows in the pools before throwing a chill by taking his revenge in the final.

But the momentum was not limited to Piedmont. A week later in Malaga, there were numerous Italian fans to see Sinner triumph again over Djokovic and then offer his country the second Davis Cup in its history, 47 years after that won by Adriano Panatta and his team. It has helped to revive interest in a competition that has fallen into oblivion since its reference in 2019 and this is no small feat.

It’s a paradox: no Frenchman has reached the second week of a Grand Slam tournament (not even the 3rd round at Roland-Garros), and yet the time has come for measured optimism. Because if the Blues disappointed in the Majors, they have progressed overall on the circuit. In 2023, they have gleaned no less than 7 titles, which they had not done since 2008, and while they had deserted the Top 40 a year ago to the day, three have returned: Ugo Humbert (20th), Adrian Mannarino (22nd) and Arthur Fils (36th).

The first two also ended the season with coronations in Metz and Sofia, while the third remains in a final at the Masters Next Gen. This is promising on the eve of a 2024 season which will see Paris organize the Olympic Games, additional motivation to move forward, including for former French number 1 Gaël Monfils, back at an interesting level. It now remains to transform the test into a Grand Slam, the test of truth.