In a surprising move, the ATP has excluded World No. 1 Jannik Sinner from nominations for the prestigious Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in the 2024 ATP Awards. This decision, announced alongside the nominees for various categories, has sparked speculation that it may be linked to the ongoing Clostebol doping case surrounding the Italian star.

Sinner, who has consistently demonstrated professionalism on and off the court, was notably absent from the list of nominees, which includes Carlos Alcaraz, Grigor Dimitrov, Casper Ruud, and Dominic Thiem. The timing raises questions, as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a suspension of up to two years for Sinner.

Further fueling the controversy, Sinner’s coaches, Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, were also left out of the Coach of the Year category, despite their role in guiding him to an exceptional season. This exclusion stands out against a backdrop of Sinner’s remarkable achievements, though his case has likely cast a shadow over his otherwise celebrated year.

While it remains an assumption, the decision has puzzled many, as Sinner is widely regarded as a respectful and fair player. Fans and analysts await further clarification from ATP regarding the reasoning behind these exclusions.

Jannik Sinner in 2024

Ranked no.1, the Italian played his last match on the 24^th of November when he overcame world no.40 Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2) 6-2 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).

At present, during this year the Italian owns a 73-6 win-loss record. The Italian clinched 8 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, U.S. Open, Shanghai and the Nitto ATP Finals. Sinner got to the final in Beijing.