Tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty have been the two most outstanding players over the past year. Both players have been dominating their respective Tour and at times were unbeatable in 2021.

Due to their sensational performances, Djokovic and Barty have been nominated in an elite category at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2022 for the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. It does not come as a surprise since these two athletes had been brilliant throughout last year.

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Novak Djokovic leads the list amongst the men 

In the men’s section, besides Djokovic, there are other nominees such as NFL legend Tom Brady, American swimmer Caeleb Dressel, Kenyan Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, and Formula One champion Max Verstappen. 

Ashleigh Barty earns a well-deserved spot amongst the elite 

In the women’s nominees, besides Barty, there are others such as American track and field athlete Allyson Felix, American gold medalist swimmer Katie Ledecky, Australian swimmer Emma McKeon, Barcelona star Alexia Putellas and the Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah.

Coming to tennis, Barty won the Wimbledon Championships for the first time last year. Besides, she was also dominant in the tournaments that took place on the WTA circuit. In fact, she has been in top form this year as well, winning the Australian Open for the first time.

On the other hand, Djokovic registered one of his best seasons on the Tour in 2021. He began proceedings in Melbourne last season and ended up winning his 9th Australian Open title. After that, he beat Rafael Nadal en route to winning his 19th Grand Slam title of the season. Following which, he won his 20th Major at the Wimbledon Championships. 

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It will be interesting to see if Barty and Djokovic can win the awards in their respective categories. We wish them all the best for the awards and for the rest of the 2022 season. 

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