As we contemplate ATP Prime 10 Projections for 2023, a serious theme arches over this tour proper now. It occurs to be an excellent one. Even with the retirement of Roger Federer– and the advancing ages of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic– the ATP Tour is well-positioned to stay wildly well-liked. That is due partly to the arrival of a number of main marketable male gamers in 2022.
The expertise materialized. The breaks have been consolidated, if you’ll. The partaking and electrical Carlos Alcaraz gained a Grand Slam and climbed to primary on this planet. Holger Rune bought the higher of Djokovic on a tough courtroom. Taylor Fritz drew blood by beating Nadal in a Masters 1000 closing.
The ATP Tour wants to keep up its momentum in 2023 and never blow it all up the way professional golf has.
With that in thoughts, right here is my ATP Prime 10 projection for 2023, in descending order.
10. Nick Kyrgios. Go daring or go residence, child. I needed to do one thing offbeat with this. Look– he’s bought the perfect serve within the sport, probably ever. Elements of his life seem to be settling down (even when other problems remain). One factor’s for sure: Kyrgios has shown he can hang with the best in the world. He discovered this 12 months that point within the gymnasium truly pays off. Since Kyrgios claims he desires to play Roland Garros in 2023, I say he can cobble collectively sufficient factors to punch into the ATP Prime 10.
9. Alexander Zverev. With a whole half of a calendar with no factors to defend, I feel this perennial Prime 10er will achieve steam within the later a part of 2023 and reemerge. Nonetheless therapeutic and coaching after his main ankle damage, the German properly determined to take the remainder of this 12 months off. And we all know from different prime stars that point off can truly repay. That chic backhand might be again, relaxation assured.
8. Rafael Nadal. He ain’t performed but, people. A supply who has frolicked with Rafa in Majorca just lately says the 22-time Grand Slam Champion has no plans to retire in 2023– even when he wins a galactic fifteenth French Open. So long as Nadal is taking part in on the ATP Tour, he’ll contend. We don’t guess towards Rafa.
7. Daniil Medvedev. 2022 was a down 12 months for Meddy, and I imagine he’ll rebound subsequent 12 months with one other Prime 10 end. However his competitors might be stiffer than it was when he was briefly primary on this planet. He mentioned he expects extra of himself, and he has the willpower to try this. What does he have to do? Get to the online extra to make the most of his peak, velocity and vary. He is aware of it.
6. Matteo Berrettini. It is a controversial decide, as a result of having this interesting Italian in my projected ATP Prime 10 for 2023 implies that Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune get bumped out (extra beneath). I think about each Berrettini’s chill on-court demeanor in addition to the Italian Federation’s oomph within the teaching ranks. Berrettini’s weak spot is his backhand, and I imagine he’ll work to repair it in addition to hone his power– which is the plus-one forehand. Malto bello.
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime. Very like Coco Gauff on the ladies’s facet, FAA’s trajectory has been regular and incremental. However that is the 12 months I see him plateauing a bit. Only a few nice gamers’ rise is V-shaped. Generally it flattens out for a season. His forehand, motion, serve and internet expertise are nonetheless elite. He might use some minor work on the psychological facet, which could tip the steadiness for him on pivotal factors like break level and break level towards.
4. Stefanos Tsitsipas. Stef is getting unbelievably near beating Djokovic, and I imagine he’ll break by way of in 2023. The extra gamers attempt to torch the Greek’s one-handed backhand, the extra practiced and higher it will get. The backhand slice is coming alongside, and he continues to enhance and develop his internet sport. My crystal ball sees extra serve and volley, even. Followers are continuously selecting at Tsitsipas over all the things from his service movement to his dad within the participant field… And but Tsitsipas simply retains profitable.
3. Taylor Fritz. This participant has the products, and America is past prepared for an additional main tennis celebrity. Fritz embodies a Gen Z athlete, who is not afraid to speak his truth. Figuring out he’s a gamer, I had my doubts about whether or not Fritz had the self-discipline to construct factors on the courtroom. However this 12 months he made main strides by profitable Indian Wells and contending at Wimbledon. His first serve is crushing. At 51% second serve factors gained, I’m certain his eminently stable teaching workers will work to bump that up much more with some creativity and completely different approaches.
2. Carlos Alcaraz. He’s nonetheless solely 19, people. Even when he’s expending extra vitality than he must by grinding out lengthy factors and taking part in a number of tournaments, he’s nowhere close to able to decelerate. Look at Alcaraz’s tats and try to find a glaring problem. There’s none. Maybe most impressively, he wins properly over half of the factors on his opponents’ second serves. Don’t feed Carlos a return he can assault, individuals! However they nonetheless will.
1. Novak Djokovic. Novak till confirmed in any other case. The Serbian world celebrity might be motivated and on a mission to catch Nadal within the Grand Slam tally and reestablish his dominance after not being eligible to play a number of tournaments in 2022. Djokovic completed 2022 on hearth with a win on the ATP Finals, and I imagine he’ll carry that momentum into Melbourne. His serve has by no means regarded higher, and he’s wholesome. Look out, area!
To sum up: Alcaraz confirmed up buff to begin the 12 months. Who will observe his playbook? Which gamers will hit the gymnasium and put within the reps. And much more necessary than that, which of those ATP stars will handle his calendar completely in order to not burn himself out over the lengthy season?
Rune and Andrey Rublev have been left off my ATP Projection for 2024. It was a tricky depart. I feel Rune would possibly expertise a little bit of a sophomore hunch in addition to some backlash over his brashness. He nonetheless has the expertise to complete excessive, although. Rublev wants so as to add dimension to his sport, and I imagine he’ll. However a few of these expertise take a number of seasons to develop into mainstays within the toolbox.
Please be part of me on social media to present me your ideas and inform me in case you agree or disagree.
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