5 most shocking defeats of 2023 ft. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Upsets are a part and parcel of every sport, but it is always a shock when an underdog actually manages to pull it off. The long tennis season with plenty of matches increases the probability of this happening slightly more often compared to other sports.

Some higher-ranked players manage to avoid the fate by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. It's not that rare to see a player save a match point or two and flip the script from that moment on.

But when a lower-ranked player does manage to get the better of a high-profile opponent, he's the talk of the town. On that note, here are the season's five most shocking defeats:

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#5 - Daniel Altmaier def. Jannik Sinner at the French Open

Jannik Sinner at the 2023 French Open.

Sinner was in very good form in the lead-up to the French Open. He had shined in the early part of the hardcourt swing with a title and two runner-up finishes and carried the momentum on the red dirt too.

Sinner hadn't lost prior to the fourth round at the French Open thus far. So when he faced World No. 79 Daniel Altmaier in the second round of the claycourt Major, it was expected to be a walk in the park for him.

But Altmaier punched way above his weight as he went toe-to-toe with Sinner. The two battled it out for more than five hours and in the end, it was the German who raised his arms in celebration.

Altmaier saved a couple of match points as well and his win over Sinner was just his second over a top 10 player. He then lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the next round in straight sets.

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#4 - Thiago Seyboth Wild def. Daniil Medvedev at the French Open

Medvedev's struggles on clay were well documented. After bowing out of the French Open without winning a match for four straight years, he scored his maiden victory in Paris in 2021. The Russian went on to advance to the quarterfinals that year.

Medvedev made it to the fourth round in Paris the following year. This season, Medvedev defeated Holger Rune in the final to win the Italian Open. It marked his first career title on clay.

The former World No. 1 was expected to perform quite well at the French Open given his result in Rome. He was drawn against World No. 172 Thiago Seyboth Wild in the opening round.

Medvedev dropped the first set, but composed himself to take the next two. He lost the plot after that as Seyboth Wild staged a comeback to oust the Russian. It was the Brazilian's very first win at the Majors and he eventually lost in the third round.

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#3 - Fabian Marozsan def. Carlos Alcaraz at the Italian Open

Alcaraz started the clay swing this year with successful title defenses at Barcelona and Madrid. He then went to Rome to make his long-awaited debut at the Italian Open. After a first-round bye, the Spaniard sent Albert Ramos-Vinolas on his way in the second round.

Alcaraz then took on qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round. In a surprising turn of events, the latter, ranked No. 135, scored a straight sets win over the Spaniard and snapped his 11-match winning streak. It was the Hungarian's first win over a top 10 player.

The tournament was Marozsan's debut at the ATP level, but he played like a seasoned veteran. He then lost to Borna Coric in the fourth round in a close three-set encounter.

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#2 - Mackenzie McDonald def. Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open

Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open.

Nadal's injury woes affected his performance in the second half of 2022. He was far from his best when he showed up to compete Down Under at the start of the 2023 season.

Nadal kicked off the new season at the inaugural edition of the United Cup, but lost both of his singles ties. He then commenced his title defense at the Australian Open with a four-set win over Jack Draper.

Nadal was up against Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. The Spaniard was already a little worse for the wear and sustained another injury during the match as he slumped to a straight sets defeat.

Given Nadal's health, the loss wasn't that surprising. But he has set the bar quite high for himself, so people were expecting him to win despite his physical woes. The Spaniard then took the rest of the season off to recover and is eyeing a return to action next year.

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#1 - Dusan Lajovic def. Novak Djokovic at the Srpska Open

Given the field at the Srpska Open, Djokovic was expected to walk away as the winner. He was tested by Luca Van Assche in the second round, but rallied from a set down to beat the Frenchman in three sets.

Djokovic then faced fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic in the quartefinals. The latter's no slouch on the red dirt, but had won just four games across two matches against his more illustrious countryman.

But Lajovic proved his mettle when he took on Djokovic this time and handed him a straight sets loss. He then went on to win the tournament and claim his second career title. As for the 36-year old, he overcame his rough start to the clay season by capturing his 23rd Major title at the French Open.