Djokovic not nominated for Sportsmanship Award

Novak Djokovic is absent from the ATP Sportsmanship Award, which is given to the tennis player with the most professional spirit of the year.

The four players nominated by the ATP this year are Carlos Alcaraz, Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner. Many Djokovic fans criticized the ATP for not including the world number one on the list.

Djokovic has never won this award. Last year's winner was Casper Ruud, and before that the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal duo dominated. Federer has won the award 13 times, Nadal has been honored five times.

Djokovic provoked rival fans while playing Davis Cup with Serbia last week. Photo: SABC

The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award is given to a professional tennis player with integrity, who plays with dedication and fair play, and who actively promotes the game through his off-court activities.

Djokovic dominated the 2023 season with seven titles, lost only one of 28 Grand Slam matches and won the ATP Finals. But he also left a mark with frequent hot-tempered reactions, racket smashing, and fan provoking – things that negatively affected the professionalism and ability to promote the tournament that the ATP required.

Another ATP award Djokovic has never won is the Fans' Choice Award. Federer dominated the event while still playing, from 2003 to 2021. After Federer retired, Nadal won the award last year despite playing less due to injury.

"I think everyone respects Djokovic and admires his achievements," former Wimbledon women's singles champion Marion Bartoli explained. "But it's very difficult to move from respect to love. When Djokovic emerged, fans were so used to seeing Federer compete with Nadal. For them, it was either Federer or Nadal, there was hardly any room for a third person."

Vy Anh

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