Novak Djokovic has been ranked fourth in the 2023 serve return ratings, behind the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Serbian has enjoyed a sensational year of tennis and stamped his authority once again on the sport, and he will be hoping to replicate such success next year.
Djokovic made history in 2023 when reaching four Grand Slam finals and winning three titles, prompting conversations about whether the 36-year-old is now playing the best tennis of his career so far.
The 36-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down either, despite the rise of impressive younger stars, like Alcaraz and Holger Rune. Although, ATP stats for the last 52 weeks suggest that Djokovic is not the most superior player when it comes to returning serves.
Daniil Medvedev has been given the highest ‘return rating’ over the past 12 months, being awarded an impressive score of 165.3. The Russian star clinched the top spot by a fine margin though, with Alcaraz being forced to settle for second with a rating of 161.2.
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Djokovic did not actually rank in the top three of the category, with Sinner earning the third-highest ranking of 158.6. Only then did the world No. 1 feature, with a score of 158, minorly above Alex de Minaur (157.7) of Australia.
In contrast, Djokovic was the highest-ranked player when looking at how he performed on all surfaces when under pressure. The 24-time Grand Slam winner was head and shoulders above the rest in the eyes of the ATP with a score of 258.6.
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Sinner was Djokovic’s closest ranking rival in the category with an ‘Under Pressure Rating’ of 244.1, with Austrian star Sebastian Ofner on 243.6 after an impressive breakthrough year that saw him climb up the rankings to become world No. 43 following his masters debut in Shanghai.
Alcaraz (242.1) and Medvedev (238.3) then complete the top five in the Under Pressure rankings, and the duo will be hoping to close the gap between themselves and Djokovic next year and continue on their respective upward trajectories. Rafael Nadal will also be hopeful of making an impact on the ATP leaderboards in 2024 upon his return to the court, having missed the majority of this season through injuries that prompted conversations about whether he could be tempted to retire.
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