Nadal Honoured With Sportsmanship Award: ‘This Trophy Means A Lot’
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has been selected by fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in the 2020 ATP Awards. The Spaniard receives this honour for a third straight year and fourth time overall (2010, 2018-2020) for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.
“It means a lot for me to have this trophy one more time, the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. I’m going to put this trophy next to the other ones in a very special place here,” said Nadal, speaking from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar’s museum in Manacor.
“Thank you very much to all my colleagues on Tour for thinking that I am the right one to receive this sportsmanship award. When someone asks me how I want to be remembered, I always answer, ‘I want to be remembered [as] a good person more than a good tennis player.’ That’s why this trophy means a lot.”
“I want to be remembered as a good person more than a tennis player. That’s why this trophy means a lot.”@RafaelNadal | #ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/0n52VBbXTd
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 21, 2020
The Spaniard has won an ATP Award in each of the player-voted categories: Newcomer (2003), Most Improved (2005), Comeback (2013) and Sportsmanship (2010, 2018-2019). He was also named Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in 2011.
Nadal claimed a historic 13th Roland Garros crown in 2020, bringing his Grand Slam haul to 20 major titles. He also won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco and helped to lead Spain to the inaugural ATP Cup final.
