Nadal wins ATP Fan Favorite Award for first time following 19-year Federer run

With the 2022 ATP Awards being handed out this week, Rafael Nadal has been voted the Fan Favorite singles player.

This is the first time Nadal has garnered Fan Favorite honors. In every other year he has been on tour, Roger Federer was the recipient. Federer won it 19 times in a row from 2003 through 2021.

“I am super happy to receive the Fans’ Favorite Award [in] 2022,” Nadal assured. “It makes me feel great. I can’t thank you enough everyone for the support not only for this award, but at the same time for all the support that I receive in every single city and event around the world. That means everything to me, so I am very [much] looking forward to 2023 to share a lot of positive things again. See you soon!”

The award caps off what can only be considered a hugely successful season for the 36-year-old Spaniard–even if the second half of it underwhelmed. He won each of the first two Grand Slam titles, staging an epic comeback to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final before rolling to a 14th French Open triumph. Injuries plagued Nadal thereafter, including a withdrawal from the Wimbledon semifinals and a couple of months off between the U.S. Open and Nitto ATP Finals.

He finished at No. 2 in the world, 800 points behind Carlos Alcaraz and 200 ahead of Casper Ruud.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis were voted as the Fans’ Favorite doubles team. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis were one of the surprise pairings of 2022, as they won the Australian Open and earned a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals. The longtime friends and fellow Aussies also captured the Atlanta title and reached the semifinals at the Miami Masters.

“Just wanted to say a massive thank you for voting us, me and Nick, as your Fans’ Favorite ATP Doubles Team of the Year,” Kokkinakis said in a video. “It’s been a hell of a year, winning our first Grand Slam on home soil in Australia. Crazy atmosphere down there. The support we’ve gotten all year has been amazing. Thanks again and hopefully we can keep it rolling. We’ll see you all in January. Thank you!”

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.