Athletistic/Tennis. The 2023 season is effectively over. After dominating the Women’s Tour last year, Iga Swiatek had to face very tough competition this year.

Arina Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff took the opportunity to challenge the 22-year-old tennis player. The Belarusian dethroned Swiatek from the world number one spot after the US Open. But Szwiatek regained the lead and won the WTA final tournament.

On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz won the TBS, with the Serbian legend taking home three titles. Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner also continue to impress with their results.

The tour has, however, been missing some big names, but they are now gearing up to return next year.

No. 1 – Rafael Nadal

Nadal won two world championships last year before injuries derailed his season. He withdrew before the Wimbledon semi-final, and after that he was never the same. Until the end of the season, the Spaniard won only four victories.

Nadal wasn’t quite ready for the 2023 season. He lost both United Cup matches and his Australian Open title defense ended in the second round. The Spaniard then decided to take the rest of the year to recover from various problems that were bothering him.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has confirmed that Nadal will participate in the first TBS of the season next year. This happened immediately after the Spaniard’s recent training session. However, this could also be his farewell season.

Nadal will look to win his 23rd TSB title and third in Melbourne. He has already won the Australian Open in 2009 and 2022 and finished second on four other occasions.

#2 – Naomi Osaka

Osaka suffered an injury at the 2022 Pan Pacific Open and called it the best moment of her season. Fans were excited for her return this year, but she announced she was expecting her first child just days before the Australian Open.

Osaka later confirmed she would return for the 2024 season. The former world number one gave birth to her daughter in July and has now restarted preparations for her comeback.

Osaka already has clear goals for next year, including finishing on the podium at the Paris Olympics. The 2024 United Cup will likely be a comeback tournament for her.

No. 3 – Angélique Kerber

Apart from the title in Strasbourg, Kerber’s results in 2022 have been quite disappointing. However, she found happiness off the court and announced her pregnancy shortly before the US Open. The German has been absent since, but is now preparing to return.

Kerber gave birth to her first child in February 2023. The three-time major champion is expected to compete in the Australian Open, but will play a few warm-up tournaments before heading to Melbourne.

No. 4 – Emma Raducanu

There were high hopes for Raducana after her US Open title in 2021. She won the tournament, from qualifying, and without losing a single set. She then tried to gain momentum, but injuries hampered her.

The same story repeated itself this year, but worse. Raducanu competed despite experiencing severe pain throughout the season. The Briton then underwent surgery on both wrists and an ankle in May.

Raducanu missed the rest of the season, but is now preparing to return. In a short interview with the BBC, Emma promised to return in 2024.

#5 – Nick Kyrgios

2022 was the best season of Kyrgios’ career. He won the doubles title at the Australian Open with his best friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. He also reached his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon after Nadal withdrew, but lost to Djokovic.

Kyrgios also won his first singles title in three years at the Citi Open. Towards the end of the season, he was injured at the Japan Open. The injury was so severe that he was out of action for an entire year. In 2023, he played only one match, which he lost, at the Stuttgart Open.

Craig Tiley, who confirmed Nadal’s presence at the 2024 Australian Open, also mentioned that he expects Kyrgios to return. The 28-year-old brings a lot to tennis with his antics on and off the court, so it’s a welcome return.

Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic


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