Alcaraz, Draper & Fonseca among players nominated for year-end ATP awards

The nominations for three ATP year-end awards have been announced, with some interesting additions and controversial admissions.

Carlos Alcaraz finished as the world No. 1 after a battle for the spot with Jannik Sinner. It is the Spaniard's second time achieving that, also doing so in 2022 as a 19-year-old after winning his maiden Grand Slam at that year's US Open.

Although Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated men's tennis for two years, the ATP awards provide an opportunity to also recognize others who have burst onto the scene or conducted themselves impeccably.

The ATP's nominees for the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, Breakthrough of the Year and Coach of the Year have been revealed. There is a combination of former winners and nominees and new contenders.

Three of the four names in this category are former winners of this accolade. This includes Alcaraz, who secured that honor in 2023. The Spaniard is known for the joy he brings to the court with his game and by smiling after great points.

Alcaraz and Sinner's sportsmanship in the 2025 French Open final, considering the occasion, was almost moving. Both men overruled points in their opponent's favor without needing the umpire to get out of his chair.

Some may argue that Sinner should be on the list based on his role in that. However, the ATP nominating a man who served a three-month suspension earlier this year would have been a public relations disaster.

Casper Ruud, the 2022 winner, is another nominee. The Norwegian has been widely considered one of the nicest people in tennis for a few years. That was demonstrated after he sent an encouraging message to Iga Swiatek after Coco Gauff thrashed her at the 2025 Madrid Open.

Last year's winner, Grigor Dimitrov, and Felix Auger-Aliassime are also on the list. Securing the honor again might lift Dimitrov after his devastating retirement against Jannik Sinner in their 2025 Wimbledon final after winning the first two sets.

Jack Draper's 2025 Indian Wells Open title and rise to the Top 5 before ending his season because of an injury earned him a place on the list. The Briton will hope to stay injury-free and genuinely challenge Alcaraz and Sinner next year.

Fellow nominee Joao Fonseca's achievements in 2025 include winning the Swiss Indoors in Basel and the Argentina Open titles. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina compared the Brazilian to Novak Djokovic, but Fonseca was not a fan of that comparison.

2025 Shanghai Masters winner Valentin Vacherot and 2025 Miami Open winner Jakub Mensik are the other nominees. Some felt that Learner Tien, who rose from outside the Top 100 to No. 28, should have been on the list.

Jannik Sinner's coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, who won the award in 2023, are among the possible Coach of the Year winners. Cahill was going to leave Sinner's team at the end of this year, but will stay after Sinner won a bet they made.

Juan Carlos Ferrero and Samuel Lopez, Alcaraz's coaches, are also in contention. Ferrero secured the award in 2022, but it would be a maiden honor for Lopez if they triumphed since he only joined Alcaraz's team ahead of this season.

Ben Shelton's father and coach Bryan, Auger-Aliassime's coach Frederic Fontang, and Benjamin Balleret, who works with Vacherot, complete the Coach of the Year nominees.