Djokovic established himself dominance on the 2023 Tour and ended the year again with an undisputed lead. He has won three Grand Slam titles, won the ATP Finals for the seventh time and is ranked No. 1 in the world for the eighth time.
Djokovic's achievements have left his opponents far behind, and the younger generation still has a lot of work to do, and given the lofty goals Djokovic has set for himself, the new generation of players will need to work harder to challenge the world number one. Here are four challengers who could threaten Djokovic's dominance in 2024:
4. Medvedev
Medvedev is one of the top players of this era. As it turns out, he has often become a thorn in Djokovic's side. He defeated the Serb in the final of the 2021 US Open, preventing Djokovic from completing the annual Grand Slam.
The current head-to-head record between the two sides is 10-5, with Djokovic holding the advantage. Medvedev is the first player to beat Djokovic in 2023, ending his 15-game winning streak in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. However, Medvedev's other two meetings this year have been lost to the 36-year-old Serbian veteran. If he improves his game even further, it will undoubtedly pose a challenge for the Serb.
3. Rune
Rune's victory over Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2022 Paris Masters was the breaking point of the youngster's career. Meanwhile, he won again against the Serb at this year's Italian Open. However, this year, the two sides faced each other in three sets at both the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals, with the Danish youngster losing in both sets.
Rune has shown great potential indoors on hard courts, red clay, and even grass. However, his results on outdoor hard courts are still mixed. If he can overcome that difficulty, he could threaten the Serb more often next season.
2. Alcaraz
This year, Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, preventing Djokovic from sweeping all four Grand Slams this year. Prior to that, Alcaraz won their first meeting at the Madrid Open 2022 but lost in the semi-finals of this year's French Open.
Alcaraz's defeat in Paris could be attributed to his physical problems, as he began to experience cramps. And he earned a championship point in the final of the Cincinnati Masters and is about to beat the Serb again. Djokovic then turned the tide of the game and eventually won the championship. The pair then met at the ATP Finals, where the 24-time Grand Slam champion swept in straight sets. Alcaraz is not falling behind when it comes to playing Deyo, but he still has a few things to perfect. If he continues to improve at a rapid pace, it won't be too shocking to see him beat Deyo again next year.
1. Sinner
Sinner lost to Djokovic for the third time in a row at this year's Wimbledon. When they met in the group stage of the ATP Finals, Sinner stunned the fans with a narrow three-set win over the Serbs.
Djokovic then defeated the 22-year-old in the final to reassert his dominance. A few days later, the two met for the third time in the Davis Cup semifinals.
This time, Sinner saved multiple match points to beat the Serb. Both of the Italian's victories have come on indoor hard courts, and it remains to be seen if he will be able to do the same elsewhere. But he does have potential, as he is the only player to beat Djokovic twice this year. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)