ATP and WTA prizes

[suliso]

Here are my nominations for the major prizes for both ATP and WTA. Anyone else willing to post theirs?

ATP

Player of the year: Rafael Nadal
Most improved player: Daniil Medvedev
Comeback player: Gael Monfils
Newcomer of the year: Jannik Sinner

WTA

Player of the year: Ashleigh Barty
Most improved player: Sofia Kenin
Comeback player: Belinda Bencic
Newcomer of the year: Bianca Andreescu

[Charlie02123]

Those are all great picks.

I looked up the rules for ATP Newcomer, and the winner has to be a player 21 or younger who made the top 100 for the first time this year. I checked, and FAA started the year at 109, so I think he wins Newcomer in a landslide.

For WTA, I think Most Improved will go to Andreescu, and Newcomer will go to Coco Gauff, who will somehow get more than 100% of the vote.
...

ATP
Player of the year: Nadal
Most Improved: Medvedev
Comeback: Monfils
Newcomer: FAA

WTA
Player of the year: Barty
Most Improved: Andreescu
Comeback: Bencic
Newcomer: Gauff

[MeganFernandez]

Those are all great picks.

I looked up the rules for ATP Newcomer, and the winner has to be a player 21 or younger who made the top 100 for the first time this year. I checked, and FAA started the year at 109, so I think he wins Newcomer in a landslide.

For WTA, I think Most Improved will go to Andreescu, and Newcomer will go to Coco Gauff, who will somehow get more than 100% of the vote.
...

ATP
Player of the year: Nadal
Most Improved: Medvedev
Comeback: Monfils
Newcomer: FAA

WTA
Player of the year: Barty
Most Improved: Andreescu
Comeback: Bencic
Newcomer: Gauff

Hard to argue with Suliso's picks or your math about Gauff. I haven't followed ATP comeback stories very much. But what about Murray for going from retirement to winning a title in 9 months? Monfils had dropped into the 40s, not as far as Murray had. I can see the case for either.

[ponchi101]

I would give newcomer to FAA. Other than that, I agree with the first list.

[suliso]

I think you are right about FAA getting it. I had forgotten he was just outside at the end of the last year. I do think Sinner is going to be a great player, though.

[JazzNU]

ATP

Player of the year: Rafa Nadal
Most improved player: Matteo Berrettini
Comeback player: Stan Wawrinka
Newcomer of the year: Felix Auger-Aliassime


WTA

Player of the year: Ash Barty
Most improved player: Karolina Muchova
Comeback player: Johanna Konta with honorable mention to Kiki Mladenovic
Newcomer of the year: Bianca Andreescu

[skatingfan]

I think you are right about FAA getting it. I had forgotten he was just outside at the end of the last year. I do think Sinner is going to be a great player, though.

I think Sinner gets it next year.

[Charlie02123]

I think Sinner gets it next year.

For the ATP, the Newcomer award can only go to a player under 22 who made the top 100 for the first time. So there are only a handful of options, and they also only get one shot at it.

[suliso]

I wonder how many of the big four got this prize. It depends so much on timing - get to #99 playing challengers at the end of one year and you're not eligible anymore next year no matter what.

[Ribbons]

Tennis Wikipedia has the goods... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_Aw...er_of_the_Year

(Summary: only Rafa)

[skatingfan]

For the ATP, the Newcomer award can only go to a player under 22 who made the top 100 for the first time. So there are only a handful of options, and they also only get one shot at it.

I didn't realize that the rules were that specific.

[Ti-Amie]

I haven't been able to come up with an improvement on Suliso's list that doesn't involve me being petty, especially on the women's side.

I do think FAA faltered a bit at the end of the year. They've been bringing him along slowly and I think this was the most he played in a year? Next year will be huge for him.

As for Sinner there is still room for improvement in his game and I hope he doesn't win anything big so that he keeps improving and doesn't get caught in the trap of "i won playing this way so why change?" thing.

As for the women there's no doubt about Barty being player of the year.

Kenin, Bencic and Andreescu are all variations of the same emotional theme. Bencic has her tantrums on the sideline. Kenin wears her emotions on sleeve and Andreescu, well, it's all been said.

Have they played well this year? Despite my reservations they have. Next year will be huge for the three of them.

I would give honorable mention to Hailey Baptiste and Wang Qiang. I'd give Wang most improved over Kenin to be honest

That would be my only change.

[skatingfan]

I'd give Wang most improved over Kenin to be honest

That would be my only change.

I think Wang had a better argument for most improved last year than this year since her ranking has now slipped to below where she finished last year. She reached her career high this fall but her ranking quickly dropped off when she didn't defend the points she won last fall. Last year her ranking went from the 80's to 20, and this year she peaked at 12, but has now slipped back to 29.

[JazzNU]

Well Karolina Muchova went from being ranked in the 140s at the start of the year to ending at 21. She was definitely ranked in the low 200s when she beat Muguruza at the US Open last year. She'll get overlooked for Most Improved by the WTA. With the way those are voted on, the better known players who are more in the spotlight are the ones who win the awards.

Also, as everyone in here is giving the Comeback Player of the Year to Belinda Bencic, just don't be surprised if she's not it. She was a nominee last year and hasn't been "coming back" from anything since that time. I'd think that would disqualify her from this year's.