Novak Djokovic has added yet another award to his formidable collection by being named the European Sportsperson of the Year once again.
Djokovic's achievements continue to bring him recognition. At the age of 36, many would have thought that such individual awards would have moved onto a new generation of stars, but the Serbian continues to prove his doubters wrong.
The European Sportsperson of the Year is an award that is presented annually by the Polish Press Agency. Both male and female sportspeople are considered for the accolade. The honour was founded and first given in 1958.
Djokovic, who has wrapped up his preseason camp in Dubai, had won the award on four previous occasions in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2021. The 24-time Grand Slam champion won three Grand Slam titles in all of those years, except for 2018, when he won two Grand Slams at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Djokovic was honoured after his incredible 2023 season. The Serbian legend won three more Grand Slams at the Australian Open, French Open, and the US Open, and also claimed a record seventh ATP Finals title.
He was also just one set away from winning the calendar Grand Slam, but was thwarted by Carlos Alcaraz after an extraordinary final.
Truthfully, there was no other tennis candidate to compete with Djokovic. Many players had superb seasons to be proud of on both the ATP and the WTA side, but no other player continues to dominate tennis in the manner Djokovic does.
Djokovic, who will be given some heat by Rafael Nadal after his return according to Roger Federer's coach, still seems to have no problem finding motivation. However, continuing to win awards will only add to the fire inside him.
The 36-year-old will seek to claim an 11th Australian Open title in a few weeks, with the younger generation attempting to finally end his dominance of the sport.
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