06 December,2023 09:01 AM IST | London | mid-day online correspondent
Novak Djokovic. Pic/AFP
Twenty-four time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic closed the 2023 ATP season by clinching the year-end No. 1 spot for a record-extending eighth time.
Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open in January, the French Open in June, and the US Open in July. In September, he won the US Open to bring his career total to a men's-record 24, and he finished second at Wimbledon.
The 36-year-old star player won the ATP Finals in Turin after a back-and-forth fight with Carlos Alcaraz throughout the season.
The Serbian began his historic 400th week atop the ATP Rankings on Monday, the day after winning his eighth ATP Finals. Only Roger Federer (310 weeks) has surpassed the 300-week mark. With 15, Djokovic tied Federer for the most year-end Top 3 finishes. This is Djokovic's 402nd week at the top of the ATP Rankings, and he is assured to stay there until the week of January 22.
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Alcaraz finished in the year-end Top 2 in the ATP rankings for the second consecutive year. The 20-year-old Holger Rune ended the season at No. 8. It is the first time two players aged 20 or younger finished a year in the Top 10 since 20-year-old Marat Safin (No. 2) and 19-year-old Lleyton Hewitt (No. 7) in 2000. Daniil Medvedev finished at the year-end No. 3 for the second time in three years.
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The 22-year-old Jannik Sinner climbed to career-high No. 4 and claimed maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto. On the other hand, Andrey Rublev who clinched the ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo finished in the Top 5.
Stefanos Tsitsipas earned his fifth straight year-end Top 10 finish while German player Alexander Zverev made an impressive return to the Top 10 after suffering a devastating ankle injury in June 2022. Polish tennis player Hubert Hurkacz ended the season in the year-end Top 10 for a third straight year after leading the Tour in aces (1,031).
The 2024 ATP Tour season will commence on December 29 with the 18-country United Cup, which will take place across Australia in Perth and Sydney.
(With agency inputs)
