00:00 A blockbuster year of tennis saw some fierce matchups throughout as Carlos Alcaraz and
00:06 Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon meeting in the final was the 51st meeting between number
00:12 one and number two seeds in a Grand Slam men's single final in the Open era.
00:17 It marked 2023's only Grand Slam final men or women contested by the top two seeds.
00:24 So was there a standout moment for a journalist who covered the incredible story of tennis
00:29 in 2023?
00:30 "I think it's been really fascinating for so many reasons.
00:35 Obviously, if we go to the Australian, Djokovic has won it so many times, but this victory
00:41 was so significant.
00:43 Had he not been detained in 2022, he wouldn't have found that energy and that will to win
00:49 with that kind of injury.
00:51 So I think that was really incredible to see that."
00:55 With his Wimbledon triumph in July, Carlos Alcaraz became the fifth male player to hold
00:59 two Grand Slam titles while under the age of 21.
01:03 His idol Rafa Nadal also achieved this feat.
01:06 So how similar are the two Spaniards?
01:08 "Nadal, I mean, yes, he is without a doubt one of the best competitors across tennis
01:16 and sport in general as well.
01:18 It kind of almost feels like Nadal hasn't left because literally Alcaraz does seem to
01:23 be his replacement.
01:26 And it's kind of incredible to see there are so many similarities between them.
01:30 It remains to be seen if he can come back.
01:33 I mean, I would never, ever count him out, to be honest, because he's shown multiple
01:38 times that he can come back from an injury and go right to the top again.
01:43 And a lot of players haven't been able to do that."
01:47 There is simply no ignoring the almost perfect year from Novak Djokovic.
01:52 The Serb has equaled Australia's Margaret Court's 50-year tennis record of 24 single
01:58 major titles.
01:59 He surpassed the men's record holder Rafa Nadal this year, who had 22.
02:04 And for those wondering, Roger Federer had 20.
02:07 Back to the forthcoming world number one.
02:09 Djokovic has won three of the four Grand Slam titles this year, becoming the first man to
02:14 achieve this feat on four occasions.
02:16 "Yeah, I mean, it's incredible.
02:19 He's always been in the shadow of Federer and Nadal.
02:22 And now he's, I think people are realizing what a legendary, you know, once in a generation
02:29 kind of player he is.
02:30 Now he's got the lead in the titles.
02:32 He's got the all-time world number one, weeks at one record.
02:36 But the fact that he keeps on pushing himself, he obviously has a real passion for the sport.
02:41 And yeah, I just think it's amazing to see him.
02:42 We should all appreciate what he's doing."
02:46 A magnificent calendar of tennis in 2023, setting up more platforms and opportunities
02:51 for tennis stars to shine through next year.
02:55 And whether it be challengers or up and coming players, one thing remains, and that's Novak
03:00 Djokovic is back where he belongs.
03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments