There’s nothing fairly like a superb rebound, a superb revival. Our Comeback Player of the Year 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 strategy to overcome damage and battle again towards the highest of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2023.
| Player | Age | 2023 Low Ranking | Current Ranking |
| Dominik Koepfer | 29 | 262 | 77 |
| Gael Monfils | 37 | 394 | 74 |
| Jan-Lennard Struff | 33 | 167 | 25 |
| Alexander Zverev | 26 | 27 | 7 |
Nominees for Comeback Player of the Year are decided by an International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) vote. The winner is chosen by gamers from the shortlist.
Stay tuned: ATP Awards winners can be introduced throughout Awards Week, beginning Monday, 11 December.
[SWEEPSTAKES]
Dominik Koepfer
Injuries are by no means straightforward — particularly when the problem at hand isn’t absolutely recognized.
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. Despite closing out that 12 months with a powerful Round of 16 displaying on the Rolex Paris Masters, the place he defeated Andy Murray and Felix Auger-Aliassime in succession, the ache lingered and he was compelled to take break day.
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,” mentioned Koepfer. “It’s in all probability instability in my shoulder and simply possibly some nerve stuff, too, that’s a bit caught. Nothing actually helped. I’ve actually tried the whole lot I might. There was no surgical procedure you possibly can do as a result of if there’s no analysis, actually, you’ll be able to’t actually do something to repair it.”
Credit the dogged Koepfer, 29, with discovering a strategy to play by way of the ache. Beginning with the Challenger title on the Mexico City Open in March, he steadily climbed his method 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. Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Gael Monfils
There was ample motive 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 justifiable share of bodily setbacks since turning professional almost twenty 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. After all, it was La Monf’s second Stockholm title, having received the ATP 250 occasion again in 2011. That 12-year hole between titles is the most important 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 received a title as a father. She may be very particular,” mentioned Monfils, who additionally notched Top 25 wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur, Cameron Norrie, Alexander Bublik and Adrian Mannarino in 2023.
Gael Monfils in Stockholm. Photo: 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 remaining) and in Stuttgart. But after a No. 167-to-No. 21 catapult, the German was compelled to close it down as a consequence of a hip damage.
“It was an amazing 12 months to this point. I couldn’t have anticipated this, going this quick as much as the Top 30 from outdoors the Top 150,” he mentioned. “It was loopy how briskly it went. It was a tremendous 12 months, so it was very laborious to just accept.”
The right-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. Last month, Struff powered by way of to his third semi-final of 2023 in Sofia, very a lot again on monitor.
Jan-Lennard Struff in Madrid. Photo: Getty Images
Alexander Zverev
The photos 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 whole 12 months, for that matter — was over.
Fast ahead a year-and-a-half and the German may be very a lot again in enterprise, comfortably contained in the Top 10 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Success was not instant. In truth, Zverev would win simply three of his first 9 matches in 2023. But 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 damage 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,” mentioned Zverev on the year-end showdown, the place he registered two of his 4 Top 10 wins on the 12 months over Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev.
Alexander Zverev on the Nitto ATP Finals. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Source web site: www.atptour.com
