Iga Świątek was at the top of the world rankings for 75 weeks. Now it’s Aryna Sabalenka’s turn to take charge. And the Belarusian didn’t steal it. In 2023, she won the Australian Open, reached the final of the U.S. Open, qualified for every major semifinal, won three titles and reached the 50-win plateau. For a year, Sabalenka has been the best player in the world. None of his opponents are as complete. The most dangerous thing is that there is still progress possible. It will be terrifying in 2024.
No offense to Carlos Alcaraz, the Wimbledon final was a mistake for Novak Djokovic. Without the greatness of the Spaniard, the Serb would have succeeded in the calendar Grand Slam. Djokovic concluded the U.S. Open with a 24th major title and a new subscription to the No. 1 ranking in the world. In Cincinnati, Djoko showed Alcaraz who was boss. And as it should be, the best player in the world concludes the year with three major titles. The young prodigy, for his part, lost his flag in the semi-final. Until proven otherwise, Djokovic is still the strongest, but 2024 will likely be his last chance to win all four majors and Olympic gold in the same year.
By spring and early summer, the identity of the new women’s Big Three was clear. It would be made up of Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. They were in all the finals and their youth was inspiring and promising. However, after the American double in Indian Wells and Miami, Rybakina faded somewhat. Injured in the third round at Roland Garros, eliminated in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and sent home after three matches in New York, the Kazakh was taken away from third position in the world rankings by Coco Gauff, the new champion. It is perhaps she, ultimately, who will complete the leading trio, and who will delight us in the seasons to come.
Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz all reached the men’s quarterfinals. Coco Gauff and Madison Keys did the same among the women. American tennis has been lagging for several years. Since the golden years of Serena Williams, Andy Roddick and company, American tennis fans have been looking for new heroes, new idols. With the retirements of John Isner and Jack Sock, a new chapter has truly begun in New York. Players like Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin have attempted breakthroughs in recent history, but failed to follow through. With Gauff and the others, the sun is finally rising on American tennis.
Fortunately for Tennis Canada, Gabriela Dabrowski saved the nation’s honors by triumphing in the women’s doubles. Otherwise, Canadian exploits in New York were rather limited. For the first time since 2015, no Canadian survived the first round. Bianca Andreescu, Leylah Annie Fernandez, Rebecca Marino, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic all lowered their entry flag. And if the last few years have been rich in victories and headlines, the 2023 season will have been very quiet. At the same time, with so much youth, such periods are to be expected. It’s just that all Tennis Canada athletes experienced a slump at the same time.