Novak Djokovic leads the way in the year-end UTR rankings, but some huge names miss out on what is an intriguing top-ten list.
The Serbian ended the year at the top of the ATP ranking list after winning three of the four Grand Slam titles up for grabs in 2023 and ending the season by lifting the ATP Finals trophy.
Carlos Alcaraz has been the biggest threat to Djokovic for much of this year, but the Wimbledon champion is down in fourth place in the latest UTR rankings after a dip in form in the final weeks of the season.
Italy’s Jannik Sinner is the big mover in the UTR rankings when they are compared to the ATP rankings, with his fine run of form in the last couple of months of the season including wins against Alcaraz and Djokovic.
Daniil Medvedev is also ahead of Alcaraz after he beat the Spaniard in the US Open semi-finals, yet he did lose to the young Spaniard in the ATP Finals.
Hubert Hurkacz is included in eighth place on the year-end UTR list after the Pole showed some great form in the final weeks of the season. That position is a boost compared to his ninth spot on the ATP rankings list.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has struggled to live up to his billing in 2023 and while he is still at No 6 on the ATP list, the Greek star misses out on the UTR top 10, which is compiled using a different method compared to the ATP points system.
Karen Khachenov is down in 15th spot on the ATP list and he makes it up to ninth place in the UTR ranking.
There is also good news for Great Britain’s Jack Draper, who is down in 61st place on the ATP list, but claims 10th spot on the UTR ranking system thanks to his impressive performances against higher-ranked opponents in 2023.
While the official ATP rankings list will always carry plenty of weight, the method used by UTR to make up their rankings offers an alternative view of the game, with Djokovic the king of men’s tennis using whatever method of calculation you favour.
WHAT IS THE UTR RANKING?
This rating system was created by UTR Sports to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.
All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.
The brainchild of tennis professionals who wanted to prevent lopsided matches, UTR Sports had humble beginnings in the mid-2000s to launch a tennis rating. UTR Sports partners and investors include Novak Djokovic, Team8, Tennis Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Tennis Australia, and many more.
As the concept expanded, UTR Sports realised that by building a system that would stop unbalanced matches, they were actually developing something more powerful: a truly global rating system, capable of accurately rating players based upon their actual match results—regardless of if they were recreational players or professionals.
“The UTR Rating is the best way to measure yourself against all other players regardless of their age or skill level,” said Djokovic, who ended 2023 at the top of the UTR global ranking.
How does the UTR ranking work?
Every match has an expected outcome, and a UTR will go up or down based on the actual outcome compared to the expected outcome
Match Weight is calculated based on Format, Competitiveness, Reliability, and Time Degradation
For Djokovic’s rating this year, competitiveness seems the most impactful. It refers to the difference between player UTR Ratings, the larger the discrepancy, the less weight is given to the result.
