The differences between Novak Djokovic and the ATP continue after the institution announced the nominees for the different awards it usually awards at the end of each season, with the absence of Serbian in several categories.
For this reason Serbia considers it a “scandal” that Novak Djokovic is not nominated for the Stefan Edberg award for sportsmanship, a category to which Spanish is chosen Rafa Nadal, Australian John Millman, Argentine Diego Schwartzman and Austrian Dominic Thiem and in which the players of the circuit themselves vote.
Several Serbian media accuse the ATP of “leaving Djokovic out” and not letting him compete “for one of the most important prizes”, an award that Roger Federer has won 13 times and Rafa Nadal three other times, including in 2019.
Djokovic, who will appear in the fan favorites vote (ends December 11), has completed a 2020 season full of lights … and shadows, both on and off the slopes.
The Serbian had an incredible start to the season in which conquered the ATP Cup, the Australian Open and the Dubai tournament and that only the coronavirus pandemic could stop. From here the problems began for Djokovic, who was reluctant to play in the US Open (and also against being vaccinated against the coronavirus) while He organized his Adria Tour tournament in several Balkan countries and in which he was finally infected with coronavirus with his wife Jelena, his coach Goran Ivanisevic and tennis players Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki.
Djokovic also left a sad and unfortunate image during the US Open, when he was disqualified from the tournament after inadvertently hitting a linesman, and at Roland Garros he could do little against an excellent Rafa Nadal in the final. But nevertheless, he did manage to seal the world number 1 to finish atop the ATP rankings for the sixth year, equaling Pete Sampras' record.
And if that was not enough, Djokovic has also surprised the circuit with the launch of an alternative association of players, the PTPA, to distance himself from the ATP Players Council, which has generated controversy in addition to causing a certain division in the world of tennis. Djokovic's non-nomination for the sportiest tennis player of the year award is the latest episode in the tense relationship between the ATP and the world number 1 tennis player and the outcome of which still seems distant.