ATP Awards Roundup: Rublev, Pospisil and Alcaraz win big

Despite being halted mid-stride by a still-raging pandemic, the 2020 tennis season was, for the most part, a success. Even with a six-month layoff, three of the four Grand Slams were held, and a few players separated themselves from the rest of the pack. On Monday, the ATP revealed the 2020 awards including Most Improved, Comeback Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, voted on by current players.

Below are the 2020 winners:

1

Most Improved Player: Andrey Rublev

Perhaps no player made more strides in 2020 than Rublev. The Russian captured a tour-leading five ATP titles, and qualified for the year-end ATP Finals for the first time in his career, all while reaching a career high ranking of No. 8 in the world.

2

Comeback Player of the Year: Vasek Pospisil

After battling a severe back injury for the better part of 2018 and 2019, Pospisil returned with a vengeance in 2020. Finally healthy, it once again became clear why the Canadian is so dangerous, especially on an indoor hard court. Pospisil boosted his ranking from No. 148 to No. 61 in 2020, reaching both the Montpellier and Sofia finals.

3

Newcomer of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz

One of the more highly-touted players in recent memory, 17-year-old Alcaraz earned Newcomer of the Year honors. The Spaniard won two ITF titles, three ATP Challenger titles, and earned his first ATP victory in Rio de Janeiro over Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

To wrap up the awards, Rafael Nadal earned his third straight Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, Frances Tiafoe won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, and Roger Federer picked up the Fans’ Favorite Award for a mind-boggling 18th consecutive year.