Tennis boasts Barty, Djokovic among six nominees for 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards

Tennis is in pole position to continue its domination of the Laureus World Sports Awards, which unveiled its 2022 nominees this week. World No. 1s Ashleigh Barty and Novak Djokovic are up for Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year, respectively, while reigning US Open champions Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu will face off for Breakthrough of the Year. Wheelchair tennis stars Diede De Groot and Shingo Kunieda are both nominated for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.

Since the awards were first given in 2000, tennis players have taken home top honors a combined 18 times, including Roger Federer, who holds the overall record for most wins at six. Last year, Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka swept the top two categories after successful 2020 seasons saw each capture major victories at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Barty and Djokovic were far and away the best players of 2021, with the Aussie retaining her status as the No. 1-ranked player while winning her second major title at Wimbledon. Djokovic fell just short of a historic calendar-year Grand Slam after sweeping the first three majors of the year, finishing runner-up to Medvedev in New York.

Flushing Meadows indeed played host to numerous breakthroughs last summer, as not only did Medvedev at last earn his maiden major trophy, but Raducanu also made her own splash in the Big Apple, knocking out fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez at the end of an electric fortnight.

How many awards will tennis win this year? Stay tuned to find out.