Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal headline 2022 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award nominees as ATP releases final list

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal lead the 2022 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award nominations.

The final nominees for the ATP 2022 Awards were released by the ATP on Wednesday, with the Spaniards joined by Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe on the list.

According to ATP, a player who conducted himself at the highest level of professionalism and integrity throughout the year, who competed with his fellow players with the utmost spirit of fairness and who promoted the game through his off-court activities will be awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. This award is unique among others as it is voted for by ATP players.

Alcaraz has been nominated for the Sportsmanship award for the first time in his career. The 19-year-old and his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, have also been nominated for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award and Coach of the Year Award, respectively, for the second year in a row.

Alex Corretja, Patrick Rafter, Paradorn Srichaphan, Roger Federer, and Nadal are the only winners of this award in the last 26 years, with either Federer or Nadal taking the award since 2004. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has won the award for four consecutive years since 2018.

In addition to being nominated for the sportsmanship award, the Spaniards enjoyed a fantastic 2022 season and occupy the top two spots in the ATP rankings.

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Rafael Nadal hints at playing exhibition match with Roger Federer in Colombia

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal pictured during the Laver Cup 2022

Rafael Nadal is currently on a tour of Latin America with Casper Ruud, and the two played an exhibition match on November 29 in Bogota, Colombia.

After the match, the Spaniard addressed the crowd and said that even though it had been a stressful year, being on the Latin American tour and passing through Colombia would provide him with "incredible energy" for next season.

"Well, it's been an exciting year with a lot of things happening to me throughout the year. Some of them are very, very good, others more complicated, but without a doubt at the end of the year having this tour of Latin America, passing through Colombia without a doubt, which is only the second time in my life that I have the opportunity to be here, well, it's incredible energy for next year. Thank you very much! Well, finally I want to say that I was not here in Colombia, since 2011 it is an incredible country, but I have not been lucky enough to know it," said Nadal.

He further added that he and Federer would play in front of the Colombian crowd in the future.

"A good partner for a few years, perhaps the greatest rival of my sports career, Federer. He didn't have the opportunity because of a very difficult situation to play in front of all of you. He always told me about the great disappointment and sadness that this caused him. And honestly, from here, I say that I am confident that in the future I can be here with him, playing a game in front of all of us," he added.