The ATP’s Most Improved Player Award for the 2023 season is being talked about tremendously in the tennis world at the moment. Although the winner has not been declared yet, it is mainly about a player who shows consistently better performances throughout the year and ends up with a far higher ATP Ranking than at the start of the season. In the past, star players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won this prestigious award.
This year, young stars like Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton, Matteo Arnaldi and Christopher Eubanks have been nominated for the award. Sinner seems to be the overwhelming favorite to win it, thanks to his career best World No.4 ranking. However, Shelton could pull off a surprise win too because of jumping nearly 100 places up in the rankings to No.15. The player who wins, will join a long list of tennis superstars to get their hands on this award and here are some of them from the past –
Rafael Nadal was rewarded for breakthrough 2005 season
Rafael Nadal won the ATP’s Most Improved Player Award in 2005. The Spaniard had a breakout season winning 11 singles titles during the year. Nadal also won his first Grand Slam, the French Open in 2005. The then 19-year old won 79 matches in the calendar year, the most ever by a teenager. Due to his brilliant performances in 2005, the Spaniard jumped 49 places in the rankings and finished the year as the World No.2.
Novak Djokovic has won the award twice
Novak Djokovic was awarded the ATP’s Most Improved Player award in 2006, just one year after Rafael Nadal. The Serbian won two ATP titles, first in Amersfoort and followed it up at Met while making it to another ATP event final. Djokovic even enjoyed a good run at the Roland Garros when he made it to the quarterfinals. The Serbian started the season as world number 64 but ended it in the top 20, ranked 16th. Novak Djokovic won the ATP’s Most Improved Player award again in 2007.
Andre Agassi famously won twice 10 years apart
Andre Agassi was awarded the ATP’s Most Improved Player award in 1988. The American was taking the tennis world by storm as he pulled out some big upsets throughout the year. In 1988, Agassi advanced to the semifinals of the US Open and the French Open while still being a teenager.
The American won his first major trophy in the Davis Cup Americas zone in Buenos Aires in 1988. Agassi won the ATP’s Most Improved Player award for the second time in the year 1998. It was a very famous achievement back then since the legend had dropped out of the top 150 of the ATP rankings in 1997, which was his worst year in terms of results and he was also going through issues in his personal life. But a physical and mental conditioning camp of sorts for more than a month helped Agassi return to his best in a matter of no time.
Carlos Alcaraz won the award 19 years after Rafael Nadal
His fellow players voted Carlos Alcaraz for the ATP’s Most Improved Player award in 2022. The Spaniard won five titles during the year including the first ATP Masters 1000 title of his career, which is in Miami. The then 19-year-old won the Spanish trophy double in Madrid and Barcelona. Alcaraz famously defeated Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev to win the trophy in Madrid. The Spaniard ended the season by winning the US Open, making the most of Novak Djokovic’s absence and Rafael Nadal getting knocked out on the Round of 16.
Goran Ivanisevic did it before protege Novak Djokovic
Goran Ivanisevic won the ATP’s Most Improved Player Award in 2001. The story of the Croatian is one of the greatest tales in tennis history. Ivanisevic was ranked World No. 125 going into the Wimbledon Championships and was given a wild card entry.
The Croatian defeated former and future world No. 1 players Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin to reach the final of the tournament. In the final, Ivanišević defeated Rafter 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7 in a thrilling match to become the first-ever wildcard to win a Grand Slam. This was the Croatian’s last-ever Grand Slam title.
