How many ATP ranking points will Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and other Top 10 players defend during clay season?

During the upcoming clay season, Novak Djokovic will need to defend 2315 points, while Jannik Sinner will be tasked with defending 585 points.

The majority of the Serb’s points from the 2023 clay swing were earned at the French Open, where he emerged victorious after defeating Casper Ruud in the final. He is expected to defend his 2000 points as the defending champion at Roland-Garros.

Furthermore, the Serb will also need to defend 180 points from his previous quarterfinal appearance at the Italian Open, as well as 135 points from his participation in the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters and Srpska Open.

During the upcoming clay season, Jannik Sinner, currently ranked second in the world, will aim to maintain the 585 points he earned last season. This total includes 360 points from his impressive semifinal performance at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The remaining points were accumulated from his quarterfinal appearance at the Barcelona Open, third-round finish at the Italian Open, and early exit in the second round of the French Open.

During the clay season, World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz will be facing the second-highest number of points to defend (2265) among the Top-10 players. The Spanish player had a successful defense at the Madrid Open and Barcelona Open, and he also made it to the semifinals at the French Open.

In 2023, Daniil Medvedev, ranked fourth in the world, will have 1280 points to defend on clay. He showcased his talent on this surface with remarkable performances, including a victory at the Italian Open, where he claimed his first clay-court title. This year, he will be defending 1000 points in Rome.

Despite reaching the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, he experienced early exits at the Madrid Open and French Open, losing in the third and first rounds, respectively.

Despite their impressive performances on clay last season, both Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune will be defending a significant number of points in the upcoming season. Rublev, currently ranked sixth in the world, will have 1330 points to defend, while Rune, ranked seventh, will have to defend 1835 points. Meanwhile, world No. 5 Alexander Zverev will also have a significant amount of points to defend, with 1025 of them earned from his semifinal appearance at the French Open.

Despite Rublev’s victory at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Rune also had a strong showing at the tournament, reaching the final as well as the Italian Open. Additionally, the Dane advanced to the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Casper Ruud, currently ranked 8th in the world, will have a significant number of points to defend, especially at the French Open. Last year, he made it to the final for the second time in a row. As a result, the Norwegian will need to defend 1935 points in the upcoming tournament.

Despite being ranked 9th and 10th in the world, Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz will not have significant points to defend on clay this year. Dimitrov is set to defend 420 points, while Hurkacz will only defend 235 points.

Novak Djokovic’s Dominant Clay Court Performance in 2023

During last year’s clay season, Novak Djokovic had a successful record of winning 12 out of 15 matches. His first appearance on the surface was in Monte-Carlo, where he advanced to the third round before ultimately being defeated by Lorenzo Musetti.

Following his participation in the Srpska Open in Banja Luka, where he advanced to the quarterfinals but was ultimately defeated by eventual winner Dusan Lajovic, Djokovic continued his tournament schedule at the Italian Open. He made it to the quarterfinals once again, securing victories over Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Grigor Dimitrov, and Cameron Norrie. However, he was unable to progress further as he fell to the eventual runner-up, Holger Rune.

Djokovic, who was seeded third, dominated the French Open with an impressive string of victories over Aleksandar Kovacevic, Marton Fucsovics, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Juan Pablo Varillas, Karen Khachanov and Carlos Alcaraz, ultimately securing his 23rd Grand Slam title by defeating Casper Ruud in the final.