The 2022 ATP Awards have been revealed, with key player-voted categories like Most Improved Player and Newcomer of the Year revealed. Comeback Player of the Year went to Borna Coric, who returned from shoulder surgery to win the Western & Southern Open Cincinnati earlier this year.
Casper Ruud won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, becoming the first Scandinavian winner since its namesake died in 1995. Additionally, this marks Ruud’s inaugural ATP Award win.
Newcomer of the Year
No matter if they entered as rookies or moved up from another division, these athletes made an immediate impression upon joining their new teams. The inaugural Newcomer of the Year award celebrates this top new talent while simultaneously honoring tomorrow’s stars of today.
Russ Marr was named the SAA Newcomer of the Year in men’s basketball, starting all 21 regular season games for Purple and White while scoring double-digit points 17 times — including seven 20-point performances! Additionally, he ranked among the top five rebounders while shooting over 40% from three.
After each conference championship, head coaches vote on an award honoring all newcomers at member institutions (including freshmen). Coaches do not vote for themselves when voting for student-athletes in their teams.
The ASC Administration Staff Committee presents this award each academic year to recognize a newer administrative staff member who has made a substantial impactful contribution to their department during that year. Winners receive a cash prize of $200 as well as recognition at their department reception and ASC reception. It serves as a great way to acknowledge those who have recently undertaken new assignments or implemented fresh ideas into their departments – here are examples of ASC winners who were honored with Newcomer of the Year honors in years past!
Most Improved Player of the Year
The Most Improved Player of the Year award recognizes NBA players who have made significant strides from one season to the next in terms of improving their game, whether from former greats like Jalen Rose and Tracy McGrady or current superstars such as Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo or Lauri Markkanen. Many stars have won this accolade over time, including former greats Jalen Rose, Tracy McGrady, and Jermaine O’Neal. Current superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo are bringing home this accolade and becoming stars themselves – or current stars such as Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo Victor Oladipo, or Lauri Markkanen are taking home this accolade and becoming stars themselves within months.
Considerations are given to each player’s ceiling, progression, and impact when making this award decision. Furthermore, improvements should be sustained throughout the season for the best results.
Tyrese Maxey’s chances to be named Most Improved Player have increased considerably as we near the start of regular season play. His numbers have vastly improved from his rookie campaign, and he should post a much higher scoring average this time around for the Utah Jazz team featuring talented players like himself. Furthermore, Maxey should show an increase in playmaking and ball-handling abilities, acting as an essential catalyst in leading his young squad toward victory.
Coach of the Year
A national panel of sportswriters votes on who should win Coach of the Year, known as the Red Auerbach Trophy, after former Boston Celtics Coach Red Auerbach, who led them to nine NBA Championships from 1956 – 1966 and is honored annually as a recipient. Marathon Oil sponsors this award, which recognizes college football coaches from across all divisions; winners receive a $15,000 scholarship towards their high school program plus special guest status at Super Bowl LVII by the NFL Foundation and Nike.
2023 Coach of the Year Sonny Dykes is the head coach of TCU Horned Frogs and won his inaugural season 13-2 and advanced to the Big 12 Championship game en route to becoming the only fifth head coach ever at TCU to earn such recognition from the conference.
Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings was selected as Coach of the Year 2020 by a unanimous vote from Associated Press coaches’ ballots. Brown became only the fourth head coach ever in league history to earn all first-place selections from coaches’ polls. Furthermore, this award marked Mike’s second Coach of the Year win: in his previous role as LeBron James’ assistant on Cleveland Cavaliers, he also received one such honor.
Comeback Player of the Year
The Comeback Player of the Year award is truly unique; winners usually make impressive recoveries from significant injuries or medical conditions to receive it. But even for players who showed substantial improvements over their previous season, winning this prestigious title would be an immense honor and should be treated as such.
Last season’s award went to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who came back from knee surgery and led them into the playoffs, showing his maturity throughout the year and being able to bounce back after suffering brutal losses, thus making him truly worthy of this recognition.
On Tuesday, Mackenzie McDonald was named Comeback Player of the Year by the ATP. Although only ranked 194 at the start of 2022, he earned himself his highest-ever ranking of 54 thanks to an outstanding finish to the 2022 season.
Other ATP awards include Newcomer of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, and Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. The former recognizes players who display exceptional sportsmanship both on and off the court, while the latter goes to coaches who have led their players to great success. Furthermore, each year at the ATP World Tour Finals held in London, the best doubles teams are honored.
Fans’ Favourite
Fans’ Favorites (also referred to as fan favorites or favorites of fans’) are individuals who are immensely popular with supporters of a particular team or sport, often due to their skills, good manners, and sportsmanship. Well-known examples include racecar drivers, hockey players, and rugby players as fan favorites.
Rafael Nadal won his inaugural ATP Fans’ Favourite award this year, ending Roger Federer’s 19-win streak in this category. Nadal received this recognition despite missing time due to injury issues during 2022.
Other winners at the ATP Awards included Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as Newcomer of the Year and Kei Nishikori as Most Improved Player, Rainer Schuettler winning Comeback Player of the Year, while Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios winning Doubles Fans’ Favourite. Finally, players voted BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells as Tournament of the Year, while Cinch Championships at Queen’s and Qatar ExxonMobil Open were chosen as Tournament of Year by players.
Casper Ruud was recently recognized for his fair play, professionalism, and integrity on and off the court by being honored with the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. Beating out Federer, Nadal, and Frances Tiafoe as part of an impressive field, Casper became the first Scandinavian winner since 1995.
Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
The Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award honors individuals for their efforts to improve society through tennis while promoting its growth. It is named for an iconic American tennis player from Virginia’s segregated city who achieved great success at tennis while working tirelessly towards social change – serving on corporate boards, writing books, and being bestowed with several honorary degrees along his journey.
USTA National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens has dedicated the main stadium in his honor, hosting Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day annually and paying tribute to him with awards such as the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, and Newcomer of the Year Award.
In 1968, Arthur Ashe became the first black person to win men’s singles Grand Slam events at the US Open and Wimbledon. A vocal opponent of apartheid in South Africa, Ashe supported a boycott of its tennis events, even though his visa applications were denied repeatedly. After finally being allowed into the South African Open 1973 tournament, he would claim another Grand Slam championship title. At that same tournament, he publicly disclosed that he was HIV positive due to blood transfusions received for heart surgery, which caused him to contract HIV through blood transfusions during the heart surgery procedure.
