“Big 3 Never Had a Point Like This”: Fans Choose Shot of the Year ft. Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner

Tennis TV, the official streaming partner for the ATP, revealed the fans’ choice for the Shot of the Year. Jannik Sinner’s winner against Carlos Alcaraz was the pick of the fans as decided by a poll on the streaming service’s Instagram account. Fans shared their opinions on the 2023 Shot of the Year, hailing the two young talents.

2023 saw many epic matches and incredible shots. Tennis TV asked fans to vote for their favourite shot of the year and announced the winner on X (formerly Twitter). Sinner’s hit to win the point after a thrilling 25-point rally against Alcaraz during the Miami Masters semi-final emerged as the fans’ choice.

The duo played three enthralling matches in 2023. The two future stars brought their A-game to the fore against each other, treating viewers to tennis which was out of the top draw. This point and winner was just another example of the elite tennis Sinner and Alcaraz displayed during their clashes.

Being 4-2 (15-0) up in the first set, the Italian served as both traded a few baseline shots. Alcaraz drew Sinner to the net with a drop shot which he comfortably dealt with. The two returned to their baselines but forced each other to cover a lot of ground. The Spaniard even fell once before recovering in time to keep the rally going. He rushed to play a net game before Sinner put a winner far out of his reach.

Alcaraz put in a full-length dive but could not get to it. This hit from Sinner was picked by fans as the 2023 ATP Shot of the Year.

Fans on X lavished praise on the shot and hailed Sinner and Alcaraz for this exchange. One even claimed the Big 3 of men’s tennis never played a point like this in their careers.

A fan labelled it the point of the decade, while another said it made him get up in the middle of the night to watch the match.

A couple of fans made a portmanteau of their names to celebrate Sinner and Alcaraz together.

Despite the overwhelming support, a section of users had their doubts about the Shot of the Year winner.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner head-to-head record

World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz and World No.4 Jannik Sinner’s budding rivalry bodes well for the future of tennis. After two decades of being treated to elite rivalries between the Big 3 and other icons, the tennis world will feel a void which the duo could fill with their developing competition.

Sinner leads the head-to-head 4-3. He won their last two matches to nudge ahead. The 22-year-old won their semi-final clashes in the China Open and the Miami Masters. Alcaraz had triumphed in the first of their three clashes in 2023, in the semis of the Indian Wells Masters.

The pair also squared off thrice in 2022. Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Round of 16 of the Wimbledon 2022 Championships. He followed it by defeating the Spaniard in the final of the Croatia Open, his only title of the year. Alcaraz exacted revenge in the quarterfinals of the US Open, beating his rival in five sets. The 20-year-old eventually lifted the title.

The seeds for this thrilling rivalry were sown when the duo first clashed in the third round of the 2021 Paris Masters. Alcaraz won the fixture. He also beat Sinner when they squared off as teenagers at the Alicante Challenger in 2019. The two are likely to cross paths a few times in the upcoming season and fans will hope for more such thrilling encounters.