Rafael Nadal has won the ATP tour’s Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the second time, ending Roger Federer’s streak of seven in a row.
The ATP announced earlier today:
Fellow players voted Nadal as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second time, recognising the Spaniard for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court. Nadal also received this honour in 2010. This season, the 32-year-old Spaniard spent 36 weeks atop the ATP Rankings and won five titles, including record 11th titles at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Off the court, Nadal supported flood relief efforts in Mallorca.
Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and Kevin Anderson were the others nominated for the award.
ATP Awards: Comeback of the year: Novak Djokovic Most improved player: Stefanos Tsitsipas Newcomer of the year: Alex de Minaur Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award: Rafael Nadal Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award: Tommy Robredo Coach of the year: Marian Vajda Fans’ favourite singles player: Roger Federer Fans’ favourite doubles team: Mike Bryan/Jack Sock ATP Masters 1000 event of the year: Indian Wells ATP 500 event of the year: Queen’s ATP 250 event of the year: Stockholm
Source: ATP World Tour
Congratulations Rafa
You are a champion
Good luck for the Australian open 💙
Congratulations Rafa Champ – a true sportsman. So well deserved 🤗💖
I guess playing in Saudi Arabia would also have been a real sporting thing to do.
Congrats Rafa 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Really happy for him. A well deserved honour. So pleased that he has this good cheer at the end of the year. I hope it will buoy his spirits during his recovery time.
I voted for him as Fans’ Favourite Singles Player, as well. He didn’t win, but I hope he knows for how many people that’s still true!
Congratulations to Rafa, yes he is the most sporting on and off court. A joy to watch and a gentleman, a kind and caring man. Rafa is the perfect role model for all sports people.
Enhorabuena Rafa por tan merecido reconocimiento!!! Siempre un excelente ejemplo para todos los deportistas. Que LUJO de persona. VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!
So very well deserved. Rafa is a sportsmann and a gentleman. I thought he deserved this honour countless other times but Roger always prevailed. but not this time.
It’s a shame that Rafa has lost the number 1 ranking to Novak but this award will help make up for that in some ways.
Beverley, you don’t know how happy I am to see you back. I hope you are well and ready to cheer our dear Rafa in 2019.
Margo, You’ve no idea how happy I am to be back. I spent several months in hospital recently and due to unexpected complications I almost died but here I am back again and ready to follow the fortunes of Rafa once more.
Here’s hoping for a very successful 2019 for him. It would be great if he could manage to win the Australian Open just once more. I think that would please him more than anything.
The Australian Open will be upon us in a flash. I hope his 2019 bid for a second title is successful 🏆🏆. Without a doubt, this extended rest period is sure to bear him some fruit.
You just may have to make up for your lost time on RNF.
Beverley, you had me writing your eulogy. Truly. I did shoutouts to you. No response. I knew if you were ok you’d be cheering for Rafa. I knew if you were ok you would be lamenting yet another forced absence due to injury. You were spared the sadness of his multiple-tournament withdrawals.
Wow, so thrilled for you, Rafa. A big congratulations to such a great guy and champion on and off the court. Another reason to celebrate and appreciate your sportsmanship and caring good deeds Agreed, no one is more deserving.
Rafa should always win this award more than anyone…
Such a lovely man…well deserved.
I am so pleased x. No offence to Roger, but I also think Rafa should have won this before.
I wish they’d said they weren’t going to Saudi Arabia because of the war in Yemen and the murder in Turkey, but at least it’s off one way or another.
setinthepast, sometimes less is more and in this instance I think less has won.
Whatever the reason for Rafa’s timing in announcing Mubadala after withdrawing from his exhibition match, for many it may give the appearance of flipping MbS the bird.
Congrats Rafa!
What a nobleman you are.
Rest and recover and return to us🌸
Yaaay!!!!! …..So bloomin happy for you Rafa. A more deserving man does not exist! Speedy recovery and kick butt in Australia. XX
Hooray! Congratulations Rafa. Well deserved. You finally broke the stranglehold that Roger had on this award. Like you Vafavre, I thought Rafa should have won this award on many other occasions, but we can’t undo the past.
So Rafa’s injury has taken the burden off his and Novak’s shoulders, as far as the Saudi exhibition match is concerned. I’m glad and relieved that it’s off. Now Rafa can concentrate solely on getting fit for the start of next season. All the very best champ.
This award is the most important. Rafa is always a gentleman, on or off the court. He does not throw or break his racquet or yell at the officials. He is a winner on all counts. Well deserved, Rafa. You are the man!!!!
But he did beat up his right knee with his racquet recently. Rafa is human although I too forget at times he’s not Superman. But pretty close.
Congrats, Rafael. You well deserve this accolade. We wish you complete success with your recovery. This is a meaningful award as fellow players
made the choice. Enjoy the honour🏆💪👍👏❤️
Yay Rafa! So happy and proud of you. Just continue being you. 😍😍😍vamos💪💪💪
AWESOME, GREAT NEWS. WELL DESERVED. YOU ARE THE TRUE CHAMPION ON AND OFF COURT. YOU TRULY DESERVE THE AWARD.🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆💙💖💟💜💛💚🍾🍾🍾🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🍾🍾🥂🍾🥂🎂🎂🎂🎂🍒🍒🍒
LOVE YOU ALWAYS, RAFA.💙💖💖💖💖💟💟
Well deserved. Vamos Rafa <3
Novak announced that his expo with Rafa in Saudi Arabia is off due to Rafa’s injuries. I suspect that most are relieved by this.
Nobody is more deserving
Well done Rafa, you deserve the award. A lovely guy who is missed at tournaments when recovering from injury. London won’t be the same without you ❤️xx
I am so happy that Rafa won this award. It will mean so much to him that it was voted by his fellow players. I am a fan of Roger too, but there were several years where I felt Rafa was more deserving of this recognition. Sadly, Rafa missed too many important tournaments due to injuries to retain his number 1 ranking. Maybe next year! I love Rafa’s titles, but the most important thing to me is that Rafa is happy and healthy. There is no joy when Rafa is missing from an event.
Rafa is a super super super guy.
His style is rare & a joy to behold .
Bravo champ .
Congrats Rafa
Cheers