There’s nothing fairly like rebound, revival. Our Comeback Participant of the 12 months nominees within the 2023 ATP Awards — Dominik Koepfer, Gael Monfils, Jan-Lennard Struff and Alexander Zverev — will attest to that. All 4 gamers discovered a method to overcome harm and battle again towards the highest of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2023.
| Participant | Age | 2023 Low Rating | Present Rating |
| Dominik Koepfer | 29 | 262 | 77 |
| Gael Monfils | 37 | 394 | 74 |
| Jan-Lennard Struff | 33 | 167 | 25 |
| Alexander Zverev | 26 | 27 | 7 |
Nominees for Comeback Participant of the 12 months are decided by an Worldwide Tennis Writers’ Affiliation (ITWA) vote. The winner is chosen by gamers from the shortlist.
Keep tuned: ATP Awards winners will likely be introduced throughout Awards Week, beginning Monday, 11 December.
[SWEEPSTAKES]
Dominik Koepfer
Accidents are by no means straightforward — particularly when the problem at hand isn’t absolutely identified.
That’s been the case for Dominik Koepfer the previous few years. After reaching a career-high No. 50 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2021, the German started to expertise a nagging discomfort in his left arm, particularly when serving. Regardless of closing out that 12 months with a powerful Spherical of 16 exhibiting on the Rolex Paris Masters, the place he defeated Andy Murray and Felix Auger-Aliassime in succession, the ache lingered and he was pressured to take day off.
An MRI, repeated physician visits, and painkillers did nothing for the previous Tulane All-American, and his rating plummeted as little as No. 262 earlier this 12 months.
“No physician actually is aware of what it’s,” stated Koepfer. “It’s in all probability instability in my shoulder and simply possibly some nerve stuff, too, that’s a little bit caught. Nothing actually helped. I’ve actually tried every little thing I might. There was no surgical procedure you may do as a result of if there’s no prognosis, actually, you’ll be able to’t actually do something to repair it.”
Credit score the dogged Koepfer, 29, with discovering a method to play by means of the ache. Starting with the Challenger title on the Mexico Metropolis Open in March, he steadily climbed his manner again up the rankings. He would attain 5 ATP Challenger Tour finals altogether in 2023, earn an opening-round shot towards defending champ Carlos Alcaraz on the US Open, and end the 12 months at No. 77.
Dominik Koepfer in Winston-Salem. Photograph: Grant Halverson/Getty Photographs
Gael Monfils
There was ample purpose for the emotion in Stockholm, the place tour vet Gael Monfils grew to become the oldest BNP Paribas Nordic Open champion in event historical past, a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 winner over shock finalist Pavel Kotov.
The ever-athletic Frenchman has skilled greater than his fair proportion of bodily setbacks since turning professional almost 20 years in the past. The 2023 marketing campaign was no exception. Monfils struggled with accidents within the first half of the season, and arrived in Sweden at No. 140 Pepperstone ATP Rankings. His trophy run was a testomony to his longevity, his career-long dedication to the game. In spite of everything, it was La Monf’s second Stockholm title, having gained the ATP 250 occasion again in 2011. That 12-year hole between titles is the largest in historical past. He grew to become simply the fourth participant age 37 or above to win an ATP Tour title since 1990, becoming a member of Roger Federer, Ivo Karlovic and Feliciano Lopez.
Monfils devoted the win to his mom, Sylvette; spouse, WTA star Elina Svitolina; and child daughter, Skaï.
“It’s the primary time I’ve gained a title as a father. She may be very particular,” stated Monfils, who additionally notched High 25 wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur, Cameron Norrie, Alexander Bublik and Adrian Mannarino in 2023.
Gael Monfils in Stockholm. Photograph: Alexander Scheuber/BNP Paribas Nordic Open
Jan-Lennard Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff, 33, was within the midst of a profession 12 months, buoyed by runner-up finishes on the Mutua Madrid Open (the place as a fortunate loser he upended Stefanos Tsitsipas and pushed Carlos Alcaraz in a three-set ultimate) and in Stuttgart. However after a No. 167-to-No. 21 catapult, the German was pressured to close it down attributable to a hip harm.
“It was a terrific 12 months up to now. I couldn’t have anticipated this, going this quick as much as the High 30 from exterior the High 150,” he stated. “It was loopy how briskly it went. It was a tremendous 12 months, so it was very exhausting to simply accept.”
The appropriate-hander didn’t decide up a racquet for seven weeks whereas rehabbing, lacking three months in all starting in late June.
All this made his September return that rather more significant, a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 win over Chile’s Cristian Garin in Zhuhai in his first match again. Final month, Struff powered by means of to his third semi-final of 2023 in Sofia, very a lot again on observe.
Jan-Lennard Struff in Madrid. Photograph: Getty Photographs
Alexander Zverev
The photographs from Paris are nonetheless contemporary, Alexander Zverev crumpled on the terre battue, screaming in ache after rolling his ankle within the second set of his semi-final match towards Rafael Nadal. His 2022 Roland Garros — his complete 12 months, for that matter — was over.
Quick ahead a year-and-a-half and the German may be very a lot again in enterprise, comfortably contained in the High 10 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Success was not rapid. In actual fact, Zverev would win simply three of his first 9 matches in 2023. However not solely would he return to the Roland Garros semi-finals (l. to Casper Ruud), he would seize the twentieth and twenty first titles of his profession in Hamburg and Chengdu, and qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.
“After the harm final 12 months, my first season again, to be again with the highest eight gamers, to be again in Turin, is an achievement for me,” stated Zverev on the year-end showdown, the place he registered two of his 4 High 10 wins on the 12 months over Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev.
Alexander Zverev on the Nitto ATP Finals. Photograph: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
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