5 most emotional tennis moments in 2023 ft. Novak Djokovic 

The 2023 tennis season was a rollercoaster ride as has been the case in recent years. While Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, the World No. 1s, inspired many with their continued brilliance, there were big moments for fans across the spectrum.

The season was marked by both emotional highs for many players, as well as low lows for many others. And as we usher in the season’s end with the conclusion of the Davis Cup, it provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on some of the big moments.

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#5 Miyu Kato’s French Open win after default

Miyu Kato found herself at the center of a storm after she and her partner Aldila Sutjiadi defaulted from the women's doubles third round at the French Open.

The incident unfolded when a ball that came off Kato’s racket post a rally inadvertently hit a ball girl. The Japanese had found overwhelming support from fans and members of the tennis fraternity who were largely in agreement that the incident was an accident.

Redemption, however, came Kato’s way just four days later as she won the French Open mixed doubles crown partnering Tim Puetz. What better way to end the Slam with a standing ovation to show their respect?

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#4 A teary-eyes Andy Murray dedicating Davis Cup win to grandmother

Andy Murray delighted home fans at Manchester’s AO Arena with a battling 6-7 6-4 6-4 win against Leandro Riedi in the Great Britain vs Switzerland group stage tie of the Davis Cup Finals.

The win, however, held larger significance for the Briton. During his on-court interview, Murray dedicated the already emotional win to his grandmother, who passed away hours ago.

“Today is a tough day for me, it's my gran's funeral today. I'm sorry to my family that I'm not able to be there but gran, this one's for you,” a distraught Andy Murray had said.

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#3 Elina Svitolina ousts Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon

Elina Svitolina after beating Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

Everyone loves a gritty comeback story and Elina Svitolina’s return to tennis this year, what nothing short of a textbook tale of lion-heartedness

The Ukrainian, who took a sabbatical from tennis last year that was later extended to accommodate her maternity leave, returned to the sport months after giving birth to her daughter Skai. And while she lost her first few matches on return, things began to click for her in May.

Svitolina picked up a title in Strasbourg and reached the French Open final. She, however, peaked at the lawn of the All England Club. In an improbable second successive Grand Slam quarterfinal, she pulled out some of her best tennis to oust World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in arguably the biggest upset of the year.

All that with the thought of a war waging back home in Ukraine. It is safe to say that more than a few tears were shed on the Wimbledon Centre Court that day.

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#2 Novak Djokovic hugs daughter Tara with post-US Open triumph

Novak Djokovic with his daughter at the 2023 US Open.

Novak Djokovic’s win at the 2023 US Open was special for more reasons than one. The win had seen the Serb bounce back from a drubbing Wimbledon final and reverse his against Daniil Medvedev from a couple of years ago.

However, none of that mattered in the moment as Djokovic would attest. To him, it was a moment that he simply wished to celebrate with his family. In a display of pure raw emotion, he rushed to his box and held his daughters in his arms all teary-eyed but possibly happier than he had ever been.

Djokovic has since spoken about having a difficult time being away from his children while on the Tour saying:

“I like to be outdoors with kids as much as we can. Obviously now it's a bit cold. Again, it really depends. Obviously now it's a bit late, so probably we like to go swimming in the pool if that's possible. We just play around. We have different games that we play. We cuddle. I haven't seen them in a while. It's always nice to have them close,” Novak Djokovic had said in a recent interview.

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#1 Outpouring of support for Zhang Shuai post Budapest incident

An incident in Budapest had left Zhang Shuai in a flood of tears.

Zhang Shuai has endured a tough 2023. The Chinese player, who until very recently was ranked inside the top 30, went months without a win in the first half of the season — a spree that culminated in an emotional presser at the French Open.

That, however, compared nothing to her bursting into a flood of tears and retiring mid-match at the Hungary Open. A controversial line call, subsequent heckling from the crowd, and a less-than-sympathetic opponent in the form of home player Amarissa Toth left Zhang feeling increasingly vulnerable on the court.

The Chinese player broke down in tears during a change of ends and retired citing an inability to continue playing. It was, however, the outpouring of support for Zhneg from fellow players including the likes of Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville that warmed up many hearts.

Players acknowledging the toll that the demanding tennis calendar can take on their mental as well as physical health, while standing up for one of their own sent out the right message to the many youngsters who are just starting out.