Can ATP Justify Leaving Novak Djokovic Out of the Sportsmanship Award After His Heartwarming Act in Paris?

From the first Grand Slam tournament to the season-ending championship, Novak Djokovic has amassed a number of accolades during this tennis calendar. While enjoying triumphant campaigns, the Serbian tennis legend has also showcased some class-apart acts on the court, most recently at the Paris Masters. Despite this, the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion has now faced a brutal snub for a coveted ATP award.

The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award is given to some of the biggest names on the men’s tour for their endearing gestures on the court. Let alone winning the ATP award, Djokovic has not even been included in the nomination list, while some of his rivals, including Carlos Alcaraz and Grigor Dimitrov, have made it. So a big question now arises: Is the Serbian tennis player’s snub from the ATP Sportsmanship Award justified?

Novak Djokovic’s absence from the nomination list despite his class-apart acts

In the championship match of the Paris Masters a few weeks ago, the current world No. 1 player defeated Grigor Dimitrov with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4, to clinch his 40th ATP Masters 1000 title. But the tennis realm witnessed sportsmanship on full display after the Serb’s triumphant moment at the AccorHotels Arena.

The Serb stopped his post-match interview as he went on to graciously console his Bulgarian opponent, who looked emotional and distraught after coming so close to the title. After walking up to his bench, Djokovic gave a warm embrace to Dimitrov, who delivered some stellar performances throughout the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris.

The Bulgarian player, who pulled off upsets against the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas,  also received a round of applause from the crowd for his brilliant efforts. Even during the winner’s speech, the ‘Djoker’ had sweet words for his defeated opponent as he lauded Dimitrov, who delivered ‘some of his best’ on-court performances. Djokovic said, “He’s been playing some of his best tennis this week and I wish him all the best. I hope he can win big events.”

However, despite such endearing gestures this season, the 36-year-old player has not been nominated for the ATP Sportsmanship Award. Djokovic’s rivals, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, are on the nomination list alongside Hubert Hurkacz and Grigor Dimitrov.

Perhaps it was Djokovic’s controversial celebration during this season’s US Open that might have led to his omission from the nomination list for the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award.

Novak Djokovic’s sportsmanship was called into question after a cold celebration

The 36-year-old player won this season’s US Open title in style; however, one of his celebrations during the triumphant campaign attracted a lot of controversies. Djokovic’s semifinal match against the tennis prodigy Ben Shelton was nothing less than an on-court drama owing to a post-match ‘copycat’ move from the Serb. After dispatching his young American opponent in a three-set game, the ‘Djoker’ emulated Shelton’s signature phone ‘dial-in’ celebration in front of a jam-packed crowd in New York.

Due to his cold post-victory act, the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion became a target of harsh criticism from a flurry of tennis fans. Djokovic’s sportsmanship and ethics were called into question as the public accused him of mocking his young opponent, who experienced a breakthrough semifinal run at his home Grand Slam tournament.

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Notably, the Serb’s controversial celebration might be one of the few reasons for his absence from the nomination list for the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. Otherwise, Djokovic’s brutal snub has come as a huge surprise for the tennis community, which also saw his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, receive a nomination for the ATP Coach of the Year award.

Do you think that the Serbian tennis star’s snub from the ATP Sportsmanship Award is justified given his class acts on the court this season? Let us know in the comments section.

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