Rafael Nadal snubbed for Novak Djokovic on major award list as Emma Raducanu nominated

Emma Raducanu and Novak Djokovic are among the nominees for this year's Laureus World Sports Awards. But Rafael Nadal, who returned from a six-month injury layoff to win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Sunday, has not appeared on the list.

Six tennis players are nominated for the upcoming 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards, but Nadal has just missed out with his Australian Open victory likely coming too late to make the cut.

The world No 5 ended his 2021 season in August with a left foot injury, undergoing a medical procedure and doubting whether he'd even be able to return to the tour as little as a month and a half ago.

Having caught Covid in December, making his comeback even more uncertain, Nadal arrived in Melbourne ahead of the New Year and went on a ten match-winning streak, picking up the ATP 250 title in the lead-up to the Australian Open before lifting his second Aussie Open trophy, 13 years after the first.

He came from two sets down against highest seed Daniil Medvedev to make history as the first male singles player ever to win a record 21st Grand Slam title, but is seems his feat won't be recognised in this year's Laureus World Sports Awards with the Spaniard just missing out on a nomination in the nick of time.

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Meanwhile, his long-time rival Novak Djokovic is among the tennis players nominated at the awards, up for World Sportsman of the Year after a wildly successful 2021 which saw him win the first three Majors of the year to equal Federer and Nadal on what was then the record for most men's singles Grand Slam titles at 20.

Emma Raducanu also leads the nominees, up for World Breakthrough of the Year