Dominic Thiem is the 2020 Player of the Year, says former German pro Patrik Kuhnen

Former German tennis player Patrik Kuhnen has picked Austria's Dominic Thiem as his choice for the 2020 Player of the Year.

Dominic Thiem ended the season as World No. 3, having won his first Grand Slam at the US Open in New York. He also reached the final of the Australian Open, the quarterfinals of the French Open and the summit clash of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

Many consider World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to be the frontrunner for the title of Player of the Year. The Serb won the Australian Open, and reached the final of the French Open, the semifinals at the ATP Finals and the fourth round of the US Open.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal meanwhile won his record-extending 13th French Open title in Paris. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he lost to Thiem, and the semifinals of the ATP Finals. The Spaniard, however, decided to skip the US Open in New York due to health and safety concerns.

“I just thought that his win at the US Open this year was outstanding for him, a milestone in his career. That was crucial for me," Kuhnen said.

Kuhnen mentioned that it was a difficult decision for him because, "it's all very tight", but added that he went with the Austrian due to "the way in which he (Dominic Thiem) plays and how he appears".

Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in contention for the ITF World Champion honor

Novak Djokovic receiving the Men's Singles World Champion award during the ITF World Champions Dinner in June 2012

The top 3 men in the rankings - Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem - will be in contention for the International Tennis Federation World Champion honor.

The ITF awards the title of World Champion to the player who, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, put in the most outstanding performances during the year. The ITF appoints a panel of former top players at the start of the season, which votes for the champion at the end of the season. The award is usually announced around mid-December every year.

Novak Djokovic has won the honor on six occasions while Rafael Nadal is a four-time winner of the award. Roger Federer, who played only one event this year, has won the accolade five times while Dominic Thiem will be hoping to win the award for the first time in his career.