2023 ATP Lookahead: Storylines Abound

Just what will the 2023 men’s tennis season look like?

Rafael Nadal won two of the four Grand Slams in 2022 with longtime rival Novak Djokovic and teenage prodigy Carlos Alcaraz taking the other two. Will it be more of the same or will somebody else break through?

Roger Federer headed off to retirement after missing most of the 2022 season. It was an emotional scene when he played his final tour match with rival and friend Rafael Nadal in a doubles match at the Laver Cup.

Novak Djokovic might be ranked fifth at the current time, but he is a front-runner for multiple Grand Slam events. The Las Vegas odds have him priced at -2500 to reach at least two Grand Slam singles titles.

Here are some storylines for those who partake in tennis betting to consider.

Let’s check the latest tennis picks, stats, injury reports, and tennis predictions. We’ve plenty of tennis expert picks for you to consider.

Year of the Alcaraz?

Expectations are pretty high for Spain’s Alcaraz, who won’t turn 20 until May 5. Alcaraz has a 57-13 record in 2022 and that includes a 16-3 record in the Grand Slams. He was 5-1 in five-set matches as he ascended to No. 1 in the rankings.

Spicing it up 🕺 @carlosalcaraz #SeasonWrapped pic.twitter.com/bkMBlIHmmA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 22, 2022

The best odds are for him to win one Grand Slam singles title in 2023 with that being priced at +200 compared to even for him to go through the year without winning a major title.

The moneyline for Alcaraz to win both the Australian Open and French Open is set at +800 and that is the same number for him to take both the French Open and U.S. Open according to the sportsbook.

The only Grand Slam title to date for Alcaraz came at the 2022 US Open, with Alcaraz topping Casper Ruud in four sets.

Alcaraz (+400) is tied with Daniil Medvedev for the second-best tennis odds to win the Australian Open.

Djokovic Eyeing Top Spot

No men’s player has spent more time sitting atop the singles rankings than Djokovic.

The 2022 season was a rather interesting one for the 21-time Grand Slam singles champion. He won Wimbledon for the seventh time. However, with Djokovic not being vaccinated against COVID-19, his visa was canceled shortly before the start of the Australian Open and that ended his bid for a fourth straight title at the Aussie Open.

He withdrew from the US Open due to the policy on non-vaccinated travelers who are not United States citizens.

According to the men’s tennis betting lines, he has the best odds (+110) to win the Australian Open and is tied with Alcaraz (+160) in the French Open outrights. Djokovic (+110) is also the front-runner in the Wimbledon odds and his +135 US Open also sets the pace.

Life After Fed

Things will look different without all-time great Federer retiring.

Federer’s last Grand Slam appearance came with a run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2021. His last Grand Slam final came at Wimbledon in 2019.

There will be questions about how much longer the 35-year-old Djokovic, the 36-year-old Nadal and the 35-year-old Andy Murray will be on the ATP tour.

The only other players 30 or older in the top 20 in the current ATP rankings are the 31-year-old Pablo Carreno Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut, 34, and Marin Cilic, 34. Nine of the top 12 players are 25 or younger so the changing of the guard in the sport is coming sooner rather than later.

What’s Next for U.S. Products?

It was a pretty solid 2022 for the American men. Led by No. 9 Taylor Fritz and No. 19 Frances Tiafoe, there are nine American men in the top 50 in the current ATP rankings.

The next step is to end a long drought of having a U.S. men’s player reach a Grand Slam singles championship match.

The last American to reach the men’s singles final at Wimbledon was 2009 finalist Andy Roddick. Roddick was also the last U.S. men’s player to play for the US Open title, falling in 2006 final. At the French Open, the last finalist from the U.S. was the 1999 champion, Andre Agassi. There has been no American male in the finals since Agassi won in Australia three times from 2000-03.

Dates to Remember

While the Australian Open is the first major of 2023, first up will be the crowning of the United Cup champion on Jan. 8 — an event being held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, Australia.

The Australian Open begins on Jan. 16, the French Open runs from May 28-June 11, Wimbledon goes from July 3-16 and the US Open starts on Aug. 28 and wraps up on Sept. 10.

The ATP finals will be played in Turin, Italy from Nov. 12-19.

The first U.S. event will be the Dallas Open from Feb. 6-12.