5 best rivalries of 2023 ft. Novak Djokovic-Jannik Sinner, and Iga Swiatek-Aryna Sabalenka

The level of play was quite high across the ATP and WTA Tours, especially from the top players who produced some scintillating tennis. Young players like Ben Shelton and Mirra Andreeva also stole the show with their breakthroughs.

Old favorites also returned to the limelight, as Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina made triumphant returns following a break from the sport. As is the case with any sport, exciting rivalries is what keeps people hooked.

Tennis had plenty of those, with some new ones being forged as the older ones continued to shine. On that note, here's a look at five rivalries which captivated everyone's attention this year:

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#5 - Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev

Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 Miami Open.

Medvedev and Sinner's rivalry took an exciting turn this season. Prior to this year, the former had won all four of their encounters. He continued the winning streak by defeating the Italian in the finals of the Rotterdam Open and the Miami Open in the first quarter of 2023.

Sinner finally snapped the losing streak with a win over Medvedev in the final of the China Open. He followed it up with another victory over the Russian in the title round of the Vienna Open.

Sinner continued to make inroads in this rivalry as he knocked out Medvedev in the semifinals of the ATP Finals. The 22-year old now trails 6-3 in the head-to-head, but has won their last three encounters on the trot.

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#4 - Coco Gauff vs Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff at the 2023 WTA Finals.

Pegula and Gauff squared off thrice this season, with the former walking away as the victor twice. The teenager won their first contest of 2023 at the Eastbourne International to level the head-to-head at 1-1. She had lost to her older compatriot at last year's Dubai Tennis Championships prior to that.

Pegula took the lead in the rivalry with a hard fought three-set win in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, which she went on to win as well. The 29-year old bested her younger opponent in straight sets in the semifinals of the WTA Finals to further take the lead in their budding rivalry.

Pegula now leads Gauff 3-1 in the head-to-head, having won their last two matches in a row.

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#3 - Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Wimbledon.

Alcaraz made headlines when he got the better of Djokovic the very first time they faced at last year's Madrid Open. They renewed their rivalry a year later when they duked it out in the semifinals of this year's French Open.

The Serb coasted to a four-set win over his younger rival and won the title as well later on. They next clashed in the final of the Wimbledon Championships, where Alcaraz ended Djokovic's reign as the four-time defending champion.

Alcaraz had the 36-year old on the ropes in the title round of the Cincinnati Masters after that. But the former fumbled a match point, which left the door wide open for another one of Djokovic's memorable comebacks.

Their most recent meeting took place at last month's ATP Finals, with Djokovic coasting to a comfortable straight sets victory. The Serb leads Alcaraz 3-2 in the head-to-head and registered all three of his wins this year.

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#2 - Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek at the 2023 WTA Finals.

While Swiatek finished yet another season atop the rankings, she wasn't able to bulldoze her competition with the utmost ease like last year. Sabalenka was one of the foremost contenders who gave her some trouble. The Belarusian also briefly dethroned her as the World No. 1.

Their first meeting this year took place in Stuttgart as the two battled it out for the title. It was a rematch of the final from last year and the result was the same as well, with Swiatek once again having the last laugh.

Sabalenka avenged the defeat by handing Swiatek a loss in the final of the Madrid Open just weeks after that. The two met for the last time at the WTA Finals, with the No. 1 ranking on the line. The Pole breezed through the match in straight sets and currently leads 6-3 in the head-to-head.

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#1 - Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals.

Djokovic resumed his competitive battle with Sinner with a straight sets win at this year's Wimbledon. He extended his winning record against the Italian to 3-0 with the win.

The two next met in the group stage of the ATP Finals, with Sinner finally registering his first win over the Serb. However, it was business as usual for Djokovic when they met in the final as he notched up a routine win to clinch the title.

The year-end tussle was far from over, as they crossed paths just a few days later at the Davis Cup. The two faced off twice as they played the singles and the doubles rubber, with Sinner coming out on top on both occasions.

Having taken his game to the next level this year, a lot will be expected from Sinner in the next season. But for now, Djokovic leads the overall head-to-head 4-2.