The tennis players that won't be on each other's Christmas lists this year

2023 has been a year full of memorable rivalries, and while most of them don't extend beyond the borders of the court, some have been a little more personal. 

Here are five pairs of players whose fallouts have ensured that they'll be on each other's naughty lists this Christmas. 

Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev

We'll start things off with a rivalry that isn't new by any means, but has remained as feisty as ever in 2023. 

Clearly in need of some good old-fashioned aggro, the tennis gods pitted Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev against one another six times this year, and the two consistently delivered that in those clashes. 

Perhaps the highlight in that regard was their battle in Monte Carlo. After hitting a double fault to lose serve, Medvedev decided to break the net while Zverev looked on and laughed, but the German no longer found it funny after failing to take match points and losing. 

"He is one of the most unfair players in the world," he told Sky Germany. "I take fair play and sportsmanship very seriously. He does not.

"There are 1,000 situations in which he feels that I start to play better and in which he tries to do something every time. I'm extremely disappointed in him as an athlete."

In response, Medvedev told his rival to take a look in the mirror, and things have remained tense between them ever since. 

Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka 

Elina Svitolina returned to the tour in April after a year out due to pregnancy and "emotional exhaustion" caused by the war in her home country of Ukraine, and that war proved to be a big topic of conversation in her French Open quarter-final with Aryna Sabalenka. 

Ahead of the Grand Slam, Svitolina had stated that she wouldn't shake hands with any Russian or Belarusian players, so wasn't best pleased when Sabalenka, a Belarusian, stood at the net waiting for such a handshake at the end of their clash. 

"I don't know what she was waiting for, because my statements were clear enough," said Svitolina. "My initial reaction was like: 'What are you doing?' because in all my press conferences I said my clear position, so I don't know."

The matter was exacerbated by the fact that Sabalenka had on numerous occasions declined to condemn the war when asked about it in press conferences, saying that she didn't want to discuss politics. 

She eventually did so, but Svitolina continued to seem somewhat frosty towards her rival when asked about the prospect of meeting her in the Wimbledon final when both made the semis. 

Marton Fucsovics and Sebastian Baez

We go now from a feud caused by the most serious of topics to a downright silly one that stands out as one of the most amusing moments of 2023. 

After going a set and a break behind to Sebastian Baez in Lyon, a frustrated Marton Fucsovics, unhappy with his vocal opponent enquired as to whether his opponent was 12 years old, with a somewhat confused Baez responding that he was 22. 

"You're acting like a 12-year-old. These f*cking young 20-year-old guys, playing so unfair. 'Vamos' for every point I miss, screaming like a b*itch," said the 31-year-old. 

He went on to lose in straight sets, complaining one last time during the handshake at the net, and probably has nightmares of Baez shouting "vamos" at him.

Zhang Shuai and Amarissa Toth

Back to the more serious feuds now, with Amarissa Toth receiving criticism throughout the tennis world for the way she behaved against Zhang Shuai in July.

Zhang hit a forehand that looked to have caught the line, but it was called out. The umpire went to look at the mark and surprisingly stuck with her original call. An incensed Zhang then asked for the tournament supervisor to come and intervene, and asked her opponent not to erase said mark, but Toth ignored her and did just that. 

Zhang, being heavily booed by a Hungarian crowd fully supporting home hero Toth, proceeded to have a panic attack and retired from the match in tears - her opponent raised her arms to the air and celebrated her "victory." 

Toth has since apologised and admitted that she was in the wrong, but such an apology probably wasn't enough for Zhang to now be wishing her happy holidays. 

Nick Kyrgrios and Boris Becker

Despite the fact that he's barely set foot on a tennis court this year due to injuries, Nick Kyrgios has still managed to have a major falling out with someone, and that someone is one of the legends of the game. 

It all started when the Aussie suggested that players from previous generations such as Becker wouldn't be particularly good in modern tennis. The German didn't take well to that claim and they've been going at it on X, formerly know as Twitter, ever since. 

The two burying the hatchet and making peace would be a true Christmas miracle.