6 players who defeated Novak Djokovic in 2023 ft. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

It has been another year to remember for Novak Djokovic. He won three Major titles, including his record-extending 24th title at the US Open. He also clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the eighth time and surpassed 400 weeks as the top-ranked player.

Djokovic finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon and won the Paris Masters and the Cincinnati Masters as well. He continued to rack up titles and set numerous records in the process. While there were plenty of highs, the Serb had to deal with a few setbacks too.

Though there weren't too many of them as only a handful of players managed to get the better of Djokovic. Here's a look at the those who one-upped the 36-year old in the year gone by:

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#1 - Daniil Medvedev

Dubai Duty Free Tennis - Day Thirteen

Djokovic started the season with a title-winning run at the Adelaide International 1, an ATP 250 event. Along the way he also defeated Medvedev in the semifinals and lost only one set in the tournament, which was against Sebastian Korda in the final.

The Serb then took his 22nd Major title and his 10th at the Australian Open. He went to Dubai for his next event and following wins over Tomas Machac, Tallon Griekspoor and Hubert Hurkacz, made it to the last four there.

Djokovic then faced Medvedev yet again, but this time the latter got the upper hand to snap the former's 15-match winning streak. It also marked the Serb's first loss of the season.

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#2 - Lorenzo Musetti

After his defeat to Medvedev, Djokovic directly returned to action during the clay swing at the Monte-Carlo Masters. After a first-round bye, he scored a win over Ivan Gakhov to set up a third-round contest against Musetti.

Djokovic won the first set and it looked like business as usual for him. But Musetti staged a valiant comeback to outplay the 36-year old and defeat him in three sets. It marked the Italian's first win over the tennis legend in four attempts and handed him his second defeat of the year.

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#3 - Dusan Lajovic

Djokovic then continued his campaign on the red dirt in his native Serbia, where he particpated in the Srpska Open. He was able to reach the quarterfinals, where he was shown the door by compatriot Lajovic.

Djokovic had previously won both of his meetings against Lajovic with ease and did not lose more than three games in each match. But the latter peaked at the right moment and played at a high level to down his more illustrious countryman.

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#4 - Holger Rune

After failing to win consecutive matches on the red dirt, Djokovic got back on track at the Italian Open, one of his favorite hunting grounds. He scored wins over Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Grigor Dimitrov and Cameron Norrie to progress to the quarterfinals.

Djokovic then faced Rune, but was bested by the young Dane as he lost to him in three sets. It marked his second straight loss to the 20-year old, who triumped in their previous encounter as well, which was the 2022 Paris Masters final.

While the Serb struggled to get going for the most of the clay season, he still went on to win the French Open. He defeated Casper Ruud in the final to secure his third title in Paris and his 23rd Major crown.

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#5 - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Wimbledon.

Djokovic's results at Wimbledon solidified his status as as one of the best players on grass. Heading into this year's edition, he was the four-time defending champion. So when he reached another final at the venue, he was the favorite to win, despite Alcaraz being on the other side of the net.

But Alcaraz proved his mettle as he dethroned Djokovic to capture his second Grand Slam title. The Spaniard held his nerve as he survived a five-set thriller to hand the Serb just his fifth loss of the year.

Djokovic didn't lose to Alcaraz after that. He first saved a championship point in their very next match, which was the Cincinnati Masters final. He then sent the Spaniard packing in the semifinals of the ATP Finals.

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#6 - Jannik Sinner

Sinner arrived at the ATP Finals in great form, having won a couple of titles in the lead-up to the tournament. He was drawn in the same group as Djokovic too. Having lost all three of his prior encounters against the Serb, the 22-year old was still the underdog despite his form.

But Sinner was ready for the Serb this time and edged him out in three sets to finally score a win over him. The Italian then defeated Holger Rune in his final group tie, which also ensured that Djokovic would make it past the group stage too.

The two then met again in the championship round. No player had defeated Djokovic twice in the same tournament, so Sinner was looking to script history. But that's a tall order to accomplish against the Serb. Instead, he hit his stride and scored a straight sets victory to capture his seventh ATP Finals title.

Djokovic concluded his season with a 55-6 win-loss record. He's still got one more tournament to deal with, the Davis Cup. Given his form, he's likely to win all of his singles ties, but his teammates will need to step up as well to help Serbia clinch the title.