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Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz exchanged felicitations for their nominations at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards.
Rafael Nadal received a nomination for Sportsman of the Year award for his incredible achievements in 2022. The Spaniard registered a monumental comeback victory against Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final last year to lift his 21st Grand Slam trophy. He followed up the victory with a record 14th championship at the French Open. Overall, the 22-time Grand Slam champion won four titles during the 2022 season.
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, obtained a nomination for Breakthrough of the Year award at the Laureus World Sports Awards. Alcaraz had a phenomenal season last year as he finished the year with five ATP titles. He won two Masters 1000 trophies at the Miami Open and the Madrid Open. He also won his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open. The 19-year-old became the youngest World No. 1 in history and ended the year at the top of the rankings.
Rafael Nadal congratulated Alcaraz on his achievement, taking to Instagram.
"Congrats on the nomination, Carlos Alcaraz!!!" he wrote.
Carlos Alcaraz returned the sentiment and congratulated the 22-time Grand Slam champion as well.
"Thank you Rafa!! Same way!" Alcaraz wrote on Instagram.
Iga Swiatek too received a nomination for the Sportswoman of the Year award. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina will be competing against Alcaraz for the Breakthrough of the Year award.
Rafael Nadal selects Lionel Messi as his pick to win the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award
Rafael Nadal is nominated alongside Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Max Verstappen, Mondo Duplantis and Steph Curry. The World No. 6 previously won the award in 2011 and 2021.
While the Spaniard felt honored to receive another nomination for the Sportsman of the Year award, he felt that it should go to someone else this time.
"An honor to be nominated again for Sportsman of the Year by the Laureus ...but...this year...," he wrote on his Instagram story.
The Mallorcan then revealed that he was rooting for Lionel Messi to win the award over him for leading Argentina to their third FIFA World Cup trophy last year.
"Come on Leo Messi, you deserve it," he added in the following story.
It comes as no surprise that the former World No. 1 has endorsed Lionel Messi for the award given his previous words about how the Argentine's goal to take the lead in the FIFA World Cup final brought tears to his eyes.
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