Stephanie Livaudais: As he navigates “the year after the big year”, a great season for the 19-year-old Spaniard would probably involve staying inside the ATP’s Top 5, reaching at least one Grand Slam final, and making his ATP Finals debut.
But for Djokovic’s standards, that barely counts as a decent season. Nothing less than Grand Slam glory, a return to the top of the rankings, and statement results at every tournament will do—especially after a frustrating, stop-start 2022 season.
Having had his every move scrutinized by everyone from social media bystanders to national governments, Djokovic will be eager to once again silence doubters. We’ve already seen it happen in 2022: Of the 14 tournaments Djokovic played, he reached seven finals and won five titles—including Wimbledon and ATP Finals trophies.
It’s possible, and very likely, that Alcaraz will indeed have a great season. But, based on everything we know about Djokovic and what he’s capable of when motivated, it’s more likely he might have one of the greatest seasons of his career.