Rafael Nadal up Against Dominic Thiem and Others for 2020 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award

The nominees for the prestigious Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award of the 2020 ATP Awards have been confirmed. Strangely, since 2004, this is the first year when Roger Federer did not make it to the list. However, his arch-rival, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, has once again found his name in the final four. He is up against Australian John Millman, Argentine Diego Schwartzman, and Austrian Dominic Thiem to win for the 4 time.

Named after the tennis great Stefan Edberg, the award honours the player who administered earnest professionalism throughout the season. Along with that, measures taken off the court to influence the sport are also considered. From 2004 to 2019, nobody outside Federer and Nadal has won the award.

Rafael Nadal favourite for Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award

This year, the 31-year-old Millman was a new addition to last year’s nominees list. While the rest remain the same as 2019, it is the 20-time Grand Slam winner who is the favourite to win.

Winner of the award for the last two years, Nadal has won once before in 2010. The 39-year-old Federer has won the honour a record 13 times. Except in 2010, Roger has been victorious every year from 2003 to 2017.

Therefore, it is likely that the 2020 French Open winner will complete his hat-trick at the end of the year. For others, even the consideration for the award brings great respect for their game and their character.

World No. 2 Nadal is one of the best sportsmen ever

Without a doubt, the 34-year-old has maintained the stature of a perfect athlete. His competitiveness and fairness have set an example for the next-generation players. The King of Clay, despite equalling Federer’s 20 Grand Slam record in 2020, fights the hardest to win every game.

Read More: MotoGP World Champion Expresses Admiration For Rafael Nadal Because of His ‘Humility’

As for the Swiss player, his absence in the major part of the 2020 season has led him out of the nominations. Due to his persistent knee injury, he called off the season early and took a year to recover. Now, he’s back in great shape and ready to participate in the 2021 Australian Open starting February 8.

From the nominees of the Sportsmanship Award, only Diego finds himself in another category–Most Improved Player of the Year. And, for the Fan’s Favourite Player Award, the voting is open till December 11.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal Leaves Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer Trailing Behind in ‘All-Time’ Wins