The growing rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner added three installments in 2023, with all three Lexus ATP Head2Head matchups coming in semi-finals. After they split two meetings in quick succession at Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner gained a 2-1 edge on the year and a 4-3 advantage overall by beating the Spaniard en route to the Beijing title.

ATPTour.com looks back at their three monumental matchups this season.

Indian Wells SFs, Alcaraz d. Sinner 7-6(4), 6-3
In their first meeting since their five-set epic at the 2023 US Open, Alcaraz won a back-and-forth opening set at the BNP Paribas Open before pulling away early in the second.

The Spaniard started fast but was pegged back by Sinner, who won 11 points in a row and later brought up set point at 6-5 in the opener. But Alcaraz erased the opportunity with the help of a drop shot and powered through the tie-break before building a 3-0 lead in set two. He would see home the victory with relative ease from there.

In a matchup known for highlight-reel points, Alcaraz won the most enthralling exchange of the evening by curling a topspin lob onto the baseline after Sinner forced him to retreat following two tough volleys at the net.

“I’m really happy to get through this great match. Jannik obviously is a really great player with great shots,” Alcaraz said after the victory. “I would say we’re going to have a great rivalry over the years. We are playing in the best tournaments in the world. It’s not over here. We are going to play a lot of great matches.”

The Spaniard would go on to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the title match to lift his first Indian Wells trophy without losing a set and reclaim the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking from Novak Djokovic.

Miami SFs, Sinner d. Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2
Two weeks after their Indian Wells showdown, Sinner gained swift revenge with a comeback victory at the Miami Open presented by Itau. In a show-stopping semi-final, Sinner won one of the points of the year: an action-packed 25-ball rally that ended with a delicate, dipping passing shot to bring the crowd to its feet.

Despite that moment of magic — and early leads in all three sets — Sinner was on the ropes when he faced two break points at 3-4 in the second. But the Italian answered the bell with a match-changing surge, winning 19 of 21 points to take the set and build a 2-0 lead in the decider.

Alcaraz appeared to be struggling physically early in set three, but he willed his way to one final push. In the end, his 22 winners were not enough to overcome 28 off the racquet of his opponent.

“It means a lot. We both played a very, very high level of tennis again. I just tried my best,” Sinner said after advancing to his second Miami final. “We both tried to play very aggressive tennis and today it went my way so I’m very happy.”

Sinner was beaten by Daniil Medvedev in the Miami final but went on to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title later in the season in Toronto.

Beijing SFs, Sinner d. Alcaraz 7-6(4), 6-1
After Alcaraz won 7-4 tie-breaks to open each of their previous two matches, Sinner claimed the opening-set tie-break by the same scoreline at the China Open.

In a marathon opening frame, Sinner twice came back from a break down. He began to take control by moving Alcaraz around the baseline and winning all 15 of his net points in the set.

After navigating a tense opening to the second set, fighting off five break points across his first two service games, Sinner sprinted through the finish line to move ahead 4-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head with Alcaraz.

“For sure in the very top [of the big matches I’ve played],” the Italian said of the win. “I would say every match against him is very tough. We always show great respect, we both play great. When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits.”

Sinner followed up the victory by beating Medvedev in the Beijing final to claim his fourth tour-level title of the season, equalling his personal-best tally from 2021.

Read more from our Best Of 2023 Rivalries series:
Djokovic vs. Sinner | Medvedev vs. Zverev | Djokovic vs. Alcaraz

The 2023 season was a transformational year on the ATP Tour. Here’s a look back at the record growth and progress delivered by ATP’s OneVision plan this season.

More than $50m in new money flowed to players in 2023, the largest increase ever. That included $22m growth in performance bonuses, $18.9m in prize money increases and a $9m increase in prize money awarded at ATP Challenger Tour level.

The number of players eligible for Performance Bonus increased from 12 to 150 this year. This includes a $20m 1000 Bonus, a brand new $1.3m 500 Bonus, and a new 50-50 profit sharing distribution of $12.2m.

Attendance at ATP Tour events topped 5 million in 2023, with 22 tournaments reporting record numbers.

Next season will see the introduction of Baseline, a game-changing compensation model that provides financial assurances to players: Guaranteed Base Earnings will allow them to plan their seasons and invest in their teams. Income Protection will support injured players during their recovery. Newcomer Investment will provide an up-front $200,000 payment for players who break into the Top 125 for the first time.

The number of players benefitting from the Player Pension fund will expand from 165 in 2023 to 300 in 2024, with the forecast contribution jumping from $18m to $25m.

Learn more about OneVision

When Carlos Alcaraz broke onto the scene, Novak Djokovic was already one of the greatest players in history. As much as the Spaniard respects the Serbian, he has brought an element of fearlessness to his matches with the longest-reigning World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

That has helped develop a captivating Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry between the sport’s two best players — a rivalry that blossomed in 2023 with four Lexus ATP Head2Head showdowns. ATPTour.com looks back at those memorable matches here.

2023 Roland Garros SF, Djokovic d. Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
There was a lot of anticipation ahead of a blockbuster semi-final between Djokovic and Alcaraz in Paris, especially after their first meeting, won by the Spaniard just more than a year earlier.

That match more than lived up to the hype for the first two sets, with the competitors one-upping each other with shotmaking and defending of the highest quality. Both of the opening sets finished in dramatic fashion, with break points coming and going for both men down the stretch — 15 combined across the first two sets.

But after a promising start, what began as a titanic tussle fizzled out in favour of Djokovic. Alcaraz struggled with cramp, and was unable to play to his true level after the second set.

“[It was because of] the tension of the match,” Alcaraz said. “I started the match really nervous. The tension of the first set, the second set, it was really an intense two sets, as well.
Really good rallies, tough rallies, drop shots, sprints, rallies. It’s a combination of a lot of things. But the main thing, it was the tension that I had all the two first sets.”

“First and foremost I have to say tough luck for Carlos,” Djokovic said. “Obviously at this level the last thing you want is cramp and physical problems at the late stages of a Grand Slam. So I feel for him, I feel sorry. I hope he can recover and he can come back very soon.”

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz during their 2023 Roland Garros semi-final” />
^{Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}

2023 Wimbledon F, Alcaraz d. Djokovic 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
The odds were stacked against the 20-year-old Alcaraz leading into the Wimbledon final. Djokovic had won seven titles at the event and carried momentum having claimed the first two major trophies of the 2023 season. Alcaraz was playing just the fourth grass-court event of his career.

There were also dents in the Spaniard’s armour. On a surface he had proven himself on, clay, Alcaraz allowed his nerves to get the best of him against Djokovic at Roland Garros. Would the same thing happen on Centre Court?

After a lopsided first set, the answer was a resounding “No”. Alcaraz showed not only impressive shotmaking, but a steely resolve to withstand the Serbian’s relentless onslaught.

Djokovic had set point for a 2-0 lead on return at 6/5 in the second-set tie-break, and later missed a swinging volley on break point early in the fifth set. Alcaraz broke in the ensuing game and twice held serve from behind — escaping a 15/30 hole at 3-2 and 0/15 when he closed out the match — to earn his his second major triumph.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” the Spaniard said. “Of course it’s great to win, but even if I had lost, I would be really proud of myself with this amazing run. Making history in this beautiful tournament, playing a final against a legend of our sport.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic” />

^{Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images}

2023 Western & Southern Open F, Djokovic d. Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4)
Djokovic was down and nearly out in more ways than one. After Alcaraz emerged victorious from their slugfest of a Wimbledon final, some wondered whether the final of the grass-court major was a sign of the passing of the torch.

The Serbian did nothing to quieten those comments early in the Cincinnati final. Alcaraz led by a set and a break and appeared poised for another big win against his chief rival. But the 36-year-old relied on his champion’s spirit to claw his way back into the match.

Djokovic saved championship point in the second-set tie-break and battled through a tense three hours and 49 minutes to triumph in one of the best matches in recent memory. The match was the longest best-of-three final in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

“Just overall, one of the toughest and most exciting matches I was ever part of,” said Djokovic, who ripped off his shirt in the celebrations. “These are the kinds of moments and matches that I continue to work for day in day out. I was never in doubt that I can deliver the ‘A’ game when it mattered the most and [I am] just thrilled.”

Nitto ATP Finals SF, Djokovic d. Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2
Fittingly, the two most prolific champions of the 2023 season met in the knockout rounds at the ATP Finals, where champions become champion. In their fourth meeting of the year, Djokovic scored an emphatic victory en route to his record-breaking seventh title at the season finale.

With new life in Turin after Jannik Sinner’s group-stage win put him through to the semis, Djokovic brought a new mentality into the semi-final. Eager to take the initiative against Alcaraz, the Serbian’s aggressive game handcuffed his opponent as he dominated the early stages of the match.

Alcaraz grew into the match in the second set and, after winning several all-action rallies with his supreme athleticism, he created a 15/40 opening for a chance to level the second set at 3-3. Instead, Djokovic buckled down and served his way out of trouble. The World No. 1 did not lose another game as he closed out the statement win.

“I approached the match with the right attitude, the right mentality, and I knew from the very first point it was going to be greatly intense,” Djokovic said. “He had break points right away, 15/40 in the first game. That’s Carlos. He always brings out his best in these kinds of matches and starts with a lot of high quality tennis and intensity. You’ve got to match that, try to weather the storm, and I did that.”

ATP Tour and Grand Slam breakthroughs, career-high Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Davis Cup heroics, storybook Laver Cup debuts: Our four Most Improved Player of the Year nominees in the 2023 ATP Awards seemed to do it all this season.

Matteo Arnaldi, Christopher Eubanks, Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner showed an improved level of performance throughout the year and made significant jumps in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Nominees for Most Improved Player of the Year are determined by an International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) vote. The winner is selected by players from the shortlist.

Matteo Arnaldi, 22

As if Italy wasn’t already deep enough with the likes of Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Lorenzo Sonego, etc. You can now add Matteo Arnaldi to that potent mix, an aggressive, physical baseliner from the Italian Riviera who in 2023 leapt from No. 134 into the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

It was a busy year for the 22-year-old right-hander, who collected a trio of ATP Challenger Tour titles in Tenerife, Murcia and Heilbronn, then battled through the qualifying rounds to reach the main draw in Dubai, Barcelona, Madrid, Wimbledon, Toronto and Beijing. After reaching his first tour-level semi-final in Umag, Arnaldi punched through to the Round of 16 at the US Open, where he stunned both Arthur Fils and Cameron Norrie. But the highlight of the year came in his Davis Cup debut in Malaga, Spain, where he dispatched Aussie Alexei Popyrin and helped lead his countrymen to their first title in 47 years.

A tearful Arnaldi won over tennis fans worldwide when he dedicated the victory to his girlfriend’s late father, who had passed away only weeks earlier.

“It’s very emotional, more because a very important person passed away a month ago for me and for my girlfriend,” he told the crowd. “So this is for him and she doesn’t know what it means to me — also for my country.”

Matteo Arnaldi” />
Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid. Credit: Getty Images

Christopher Eubanks, 27

You weren’t alone if you got caught up in late-bloomer Christopher Eubanks’ feel-good run in 2023, which saw the American crack the Top 100 with a quarter-final showing in Miami, claim his first ATP Tour title in Mallorca, then stun Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to his maiden major quarter-final on the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon.

What made it even more remarkable was that the former ACC Player of the Year (Georgia Tech) pulled it all off while doubling as a Tennis Channel commentator, as adept on the set/behind the mic as he is on the tennis court.

The talent has been there all along. It just took some self-belief (and a pep talk from countryman John Isner) for the American to put it all together at 27.

“He reassured me, ‘You’re going to be fine, don’t worry about it.’ I think at that time I was ranked around 180, 170, something like that,” said Eubanks, who would later rise to a career-best No. 29 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “He really reassured me I was going to be fine. Practising with him and hearing his input really gave me a little bit extra push to kind of know it’s going to work out.”

Christopher Eubanks” />
Christopher Eubanks at Wimbledon. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

Ben Shelton, 21

You couldn’t dial up a better debut than the one Ben Shelton lived out in 2023. The reigning NCAA singles titlist, the son of former ATP Tour pro Bryan Shelton, burst onto the scene in Melbourne, flashing his big lefty, power-serving game in reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals. Forget the fact that, until then, Shelton had never travelled outside the United States.

He one-upped that result at the US Open, downing compatriots Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe to earn a semi-final shot at Novak Djokovic. By year’s end, the onetime Florida Gator had helped lead Team World to its second straight Laver Cup title in Vancouver, claimed his first ATP Tour title in Tokyo, and rocketed from No. 96 to a career-high No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Ironically, it might have been Shelton’s mid-year stall that benefitted him most. (He failed to win back-to-back matches during a rocky February-to-August stretch, going 7-18 in tour-level matches.) He was learning in real time, playing on new surfaces in new destinations, quietly becoming a better, more experienced player.

“I definitely learned a lot of things. The list could go on and on,” said Shelton. “Going to so many different countries and playing on different surfaces, and just being exposed to different things. I know that it’s something where there’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve. I think that was a piece for me that I kind of had to keep my perspective and know that, ‘Okay, it’s not like I’m supposed to go out here and win every single match I play just because I did something good early in the season.’”

Ben Shelton” />
Ben Shelton in Tokyo. Photo: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

Jannik Sinner, 22

Though he’s just 22, we’ve long known Jannik Sinner’s ceiling is a high one.

He cracked the Top 10 as a teenager, after all, and coming into this year had already reached the quarter-finals of all four majors and won six tour-level titles. But it was in 2023 that it all really came together for the lanky, hard-hitting baseliner, who, by going 64-15, set an Open Era record for most wins by an Italian player in a single season.

That mark included a personal-best 13 Top 10 wins, his first major semi-final (Wimbledon), his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title (Toronto) and a run to the trophy match at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he traded wins with year-end No. 1 Novak Djokovic. He also reached a career-high No. 4, matching legend Adriano Panatta as the highest-ranked Italian in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history.

The Darren Cahill/Simone Vagnozzi-coached Sinner would save the best for last, leading Italy to its first Davis Cup title since 1976, the clincher coming in the form of a dominant 6-3, 6-0 dismissal of Australia’s Alex de Minaur. 

“I think, especially the second half of the year, mentally I was much, much stronger,” said Sinner. “I was not complaining so much on court when things were going in the wrong way. I think these kind of things, they make difference sometimes…

“One of the things where I can be really happy is that I played many, many important matches in the biggest stadiums we have throughout the whole year. This is something [that] hopefully can help for the next season.”

Jannik Sinner” />
Jannik Sinner in Davis Cup action. Photo: LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images