Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner: Which one of the 'next Big 3' beat Novak Djokovic the most in 2023?

Novak Djokovic proved that he's not ready to walk off into the sunset just yet. At the age of 36, he's had another fruitful season as he captured three Major titles and the ATP Finals, along with three more titles. He also concluded the year as the World No. 1 for the eighth time.

However, the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner has ushered in a new set of challengers for the Serb. They have had some impressive results over the past year, with the Spaniard even claiming a couple of Grand Slam titles.

The trio are now collectively being called as the next "Big 3". The term was coined following the dominance of Djokovic and his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

While Djokovic continues to remain the player to beat, the youngsters are catching up to him. The aforementioned trio were responsible for more than half of his defeats this season. With that, let's take a look at how often the promising youngsters got the better of the Serb:

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#3) Holger Rune - 1 win (Italian Open quarterfinals)

Holger Rune at the 2023 Italian Open.

Djokovic and Rune faced off twice last year. While the former walked away as the winner at the US Open, the latter got the better of his celebrated opponent to win the Paris Masters.

They renewed their rivalry at this year's Italian Open. The Serb had struggled on the clay before coming to Rome as he failed to win consecutive matches on the surface. But he managed to turn things around to make the last eight here.

Rune, on the other hand, won the BMW Open and reached the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters. The Danish youngster outplayed the 36-year old yet again at the Italian Open as he scored a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win over him.

But Djokovic had the last laugh in the end. He took on Rune on two more occasions after that and bested him twice to lead the rivalry 3-2 at the moment.

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#2) Carlos Alcaraz - 1 win (Wimbledon final)

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Wimbledon.

Alcaraz and Djokovic's only prior encounter happend at the 2022 Madrid Open, which was won by the former. The two crossed paths after more than a year in the semifinals of the French Open.

They split the first couple of sets, but Alcaraz started cramping heavily after that and was unable to give his best. Djokovic won the match and later, the title as well by defeating Casper Ruud in the final.

The Serb then met Alcaraz in the final of the Wimbledon Championships. He was the four-time defending champion and was looking to stay on course for a Calendar Year Grand Slam.

Alcaraz was the underdog in this contest, but held his nerve to get the better of his opponent. He defeated him 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to capture his second Major title and bring an end to the Serb's reign.

Alcaraz almost scored a second victory over Djokovic, but the latter saved a championship point in the final of the Cincinnati Masters to triumph in three sets. The 36-year old also defeated his younger opponent in the semis of the ATP Finals to currently lead 3-2 in the head-to-head.

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#1) Jannik Sinner - 2 wins (ATP Finals group stage, Davis Cup semifinals)

Jannik Sinner at the 2023 Davis Cup.

Sinner had lost all three of his previous matches against Djokovic, including at this year's Wimbledon. So when the two were to square off in the group stage the ATP Finals, the Serb was favored to win.

Sinner was in great form, having won a couple of titles in the fall. The momentum and confidence proved to be vital as he snapped Djokovic's 19-match winning streak with a 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2). He became one of the few players to outplay the 36-year old in a deciding set tie-break.

The two duked it out once again a few days later in the final, but this time the World No. 1 scored a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory to claim the title. But the story was far from over, as they faced off just a few days later in the semifinals of the Davis Cup.

Miomir Kecmanovic's win over Lorenzo Musetti gave Serbia the lead in their Davis Cup tie. Djokovic then took on Sinner in the second singles match, which went the Italian's way as he saved three match points en route to a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory.

Sinner then teamed up with Lorenzo Sonego to inflict yet another defeat on Djokovic in the decisive doubles rubber. In the end, the Italian won a couple of singles matches and a double match against the Serb this year, though the official head-to-head stands at 4-2 in the latter's favor.