The Grandstand’s Top 10 Matches of the Year: 6-10

With the 2023 tennis season in the rearview mirror, it’s time to recap the best matches of the year on the ATP Tour. The first half of the list includes a couple of late-night thrillers plus one of two Thanasi Kokkinakis marathons.

10) Tommy Paul vs. Taylor Fritz, Acapulco semifinals

It’s unfair to give slams, Masters 1000s, and the Nitto ATP Finals a complete monopoly on the top 10. Moreover, what would a list really be without a patented late-night marathon in Acapulco?!?! Energy-sapping thrillers are basically the norm at this tournament, but an all-American semifinal matchup between Paul and Fritz was arguably better than anything the Acapulco faithful have ever seen. It was Paul who came out on top, prevailing 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(2) after three hours and 25 minutes. He missed a match point on his own serve at 5-4 in the second before coming back from 3-1 down in the third and from four break points down at 5-5. Fritz saved an additional two match points at 5-6, but Paul seized the upper hand for good in a third-set tiebreaker. An incredible level of tennis was on display, too, especially considering the physical wear and tear it took on the two compatriots in typically brutal Acapulco conditions.

9) Andrey Rublev vs. Holger Rune, Australian Open fourth round

Perhaps no single set of tennis in 2023 was more dramatic than the fifth set of an Australian Open last 16 battle between Rublev and Rune. It was an appropriate end to what was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish, in which Rublev won the first and third sets while Rune took the second and fourth. In the decider, the Russian was down 5-2, then faced two match points at 5-6, and then trailed 5-0 in the final-set super-tiebreaker. Moments later it was Rune’s turn to stave off elimination, making match-point saves of his own at 7-9 and 8-9. Finally, at 10-9 Rublev clinched victory in a way that only this match could conclude: with a backhand return that dribbled over the net cord for a winner.

8) Holger Rune vs. Jannik Sinner, Monte-Carlo semifinals

This was an absolute circus. At only 20 years old, Rune already has the reputation of being one of the bad boys on tour (albeit nowhere close to level of Nick Kyrgios, for example) and this might as well have been an away Davis Cup tie for him–having to face Sinner in Monte-Carlo. Let’s be honest; Monte-Carlo might as well be Italy. The crowd did their best to push Sinner into the final of this Masters 1000 tournament, but in the end it was Rune who triumphed 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 after two hours and 46 minutes. The match had it all: wild momentum swings, a frustrating 50-minute rain delay, borderline unruly fans (with Rune happily mixing it up with them after almost every point he won in the third set), and a frosty handshake. The Dane signed the camera with one word following his victory: “mental.”

7) Hubert Hurkacz vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis, Miami second round

Matches at the business end of tournaments obviously get the most eyeballs, but don’t forget that the early rounds can also produce unforgettable theatrics. One such instance was round two of the Miami Masters, where Hurkacz and Kokkinakis played what was on paper the most competitive match of the year. Check out this scoreline: 6-7(10), 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in favor of Hurkacz. The Pole saved three match points in the second-set tiebreaker and two more in the third-set ‘breaker–one in especially incredible fashion–before triumphing in three hours and 31 minutes. Moreover, the atmosphere in the Grandstand made it feel like the final weekend of a slam rather than the fourth day of a Masters 1000 event.

6) Alexander Zverev vs. Jannik Sinner, U.S. Open fourth round

Every summer you can bank on at least one U.S. Open night match going well into the morning, and this time around a fourth-round battle between Zverev and Sinner was up to the task. Lasting four hours and 41 minutes, Zverev’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory ended at 1:39 am. In the latter stages of a roller-coaster ride, the German held up better physically than Sinner–who 12 months earlier lost to Carlos Alcaraz at 2:50 am in the quarterfinals. Zverev-Sinner wasn’t the highest quality match in 2023 and the Italian’s cramping became a serious factor, but the drama and overall atmosphere in Arthur Ashe Stadium made it one the most memorable matches of the year.