Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Who won the most titles in 2023?

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz established their duopoly at the top of the men's game this year. Between the two of them, they swept all four Majors and four of the nine Masters tournaments.

In the end, the 36-year-old edged his younger challenger when it came to the title count for the year. The former bagged seven trophies along with a runner-up finish, while the latter secured six titles for himself and reached an additional two finals.

The two also swapped places at the top of the rankings for most of the year, until the Serb gained the upper hand towards the end of the season. While they faced a stiff challenge from the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz remained a cut above the rest for most of the year.

Here's a look at how the title race between the two best players on the tour unfolded this season:

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Carlos Alcaraz overcomes a late start to jump ahead in the title race

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 cinch Championships.

Alcaraz couldn't make a trip Down Under at the start of the season due to an injury. Djokovic, meanwhile, had a fantastic start as he remained undefeated in Australia.

The Serb kicked off the year with a title-winning run at the Adelaide International 1 and then lifted his 22nd Major title at the Australian Open. Alcaraz made his return during the South American clay swing and captured his first title of the year at the Argentina Open.

The Spaniard reached the final of the Rio Open the following week, but his title defense fell short at the last hurdle as he lost to Cameron Norrie. Djokovic was unable to compete in the "Sunshine Double" events in America due to the vaccine mandate in the country.

Alcaraz won the Indian Wells champion and thus equaled the Serb's title count for the season. The 20-year-old enjoyed great success at the start of the clay swing as he defended his titles in Barcelona and Madrid, and upped his trophy count to four.

Djokovic, on the other hand, struggled a bit until the French Open as he didn't win a single title in the lead-up to the clay-court Major. The 36-year-old rediscovered his form at the right time as he defeated Alcaraz en route to winning the French Open.

The Spaniard then claimed his fifth title of the year at the Queen's Club Championships. Alcaraz and Djokovic faced off for the Wimbledon title, where the latter was the four-time defending champion.

The two played a fantastic match, but it was Alcaraz who came out on top to clinch his second Major title and sixth of the season. By the conclusion of Wimbledon, he had twice as many titles as the Serb.

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Novak Djokovic's dominant run in the fall sees him surpass Carlos Alcaraz's title count

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 ATP Finals.

Djokovic lagged behind Alcaraz when it came to the number of titles won halfway through the season. However, he went on a tear once the hardcourt swing resumed again.

The Serb defeated his younger rival in the final of the Cincinnati Masters to claim his fourth title of the year. He then won the US Open as well, his 24th Major title and fifth trophy in 2023. He continued his unbeaten run to emerge victorious at the Paris Masters too.

Djokovic's winning ways came to an end in the group stage of the ATP Finals as Jannik Sinner inflicted a defeat on him. But the Serb was still able to make it out of the round-robin stage.

The current World No. 1 then knocked out Alcaraz in the semifinals and followed it up with a win over Sinner in the final. He thus won his seventh title of the year and won the ATP Finals for the seventh time. He also concluded the season as the top-ranked player for the eighth time, further extending his record.

For Alcaraz, the end of the season proved to be a little underwhelming, just like last year. In contrast, Djokovic thrived to overcome his benchmark set by the Spaniard when it came to this year's title count.

The Serb has won at least seven titles in a single season for the sixth time. He previously achieved the same in 2011 with 10 titles, won seven each in 2013 and 2014, recorded a career-best trophy haul of 11 in 2015, and lifted another seven titles in 2016.