ATP Tour: Will Nadal and Djokovic crack the 100 in 2023?

A very big mark could fall for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in 2023: 100 tournament wins on the ATP tour. Djokovic has better cards for this.

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2023 could be a historic year for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic: Because with outstanding seasons, both have the chance to achieve three-digit tournament wins. So far, only two professionals have managed to do this: Roger Federer with 103 and record holder Jimmy Connors with 109. Nadal is currently at 92, Djokovic at 91. The latter should be further along, the upheavals due to Djokovic not having the corona vaccination this year but deprived of many opportunities. Nevertheless, five championships emerged (Rome, Tel Aviv, Astana, Paris-Bercy, ATP Finals). Nine titles in one season? Yes, Novak Djokovic can do that in 2023.

The situation with Rafael Nadal is a little different. He is currently at 92 and wrote four times in the past season (Melbourne, Australian Open, Acapulco, Roland Garros). That means: Nadal has been without a title since the beginning of June 2022, which of course also has to do with his permanent injury stories. In addition, Nadal has just announced in Mexico that the 2024 season is too far away to plan for it. Which points to a well-deserved ride into the sunset sometime in 2023.

Nadal is running out of time, Djokovic is not

So Nadal would have to start like this season and then score points where he always seemed to find it relatively easy in recent years: in the European clay court circus. Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Paris - these are the stations that should all have a court named in honor of the Spanish ash grandmaster (but in fact there is only a "Pista Rafa Nadal" in Barcelona). On other occasions, things get tough for Rafa. Also due to Djokovic's expected return to hard courts in the USA. And the cheeky competition from Carlos Alcaraz, for example.

For Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, time seems to have stood still: At the ATP Finals, the second oldest individual player seemed to be the fittest (exception: the match against Daniil Medvedev). Djokovic can win anytime and anywhere if he feels like it. The question isn't if he can win 100 tournaments in his career. But only whether that will be the case in the coming year. Or not until 2024.

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