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Roger Federer claimed 19 consecutive Fans' Favourite ATP awards between 2003 and 2021! The Swiss legend retired in September this year, and his great rival has taken the award from him. Rafael Nadal is the 2022 Fans' Favourite award winner, earning the honor for the first time in a career.
Rafa has been among the players to beat in 2022, winning two Major titles and standing alone on 22, one in front of Novak Djokovic. Also, the veteran wrapped up the year in the top-2, becoming the oldest player in that group.
Nadal had a chance to become world no. 1 in the second part of the season, winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros and leading the ATP Race ahead of August. However, the Spaniard struggled with injuries since Wimbledon and failed to take the ATP throne after wrapping up the season with four ATP titles.
Rafa skipped the second part of 2021 due to a foot injury and made a perfect comeback this year.
Rafael Nadal earned the Fans' Favourite ATP award for the first time.
The Spaniard claimed his first Australian Open title in 13 years and backed it by another trophy in Acapulco.
Rafa's first setback came in Indian Wells, fracturing his rib and experiencing the season's first loss in the title clash against Taylor Fritz. The veteran skipped his favorite events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and lost crucial points in the year-end no.
1 battle. Rafa returned to action in May and failed to impress in Madrid and Rome. He experienced early losses and gathered dark clouds over his Roland Garros chances. With a foot injury bothering him again, Nadal needed injections to endure all the efforts in Paris.
The king of clay showed his greatness again and defeated Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud for his 14th Roland Garros title. Hoping for more at Wimbledon, Rafa advanced into the last four despite a seven-millimeter abdominal tear.
The Spaniard prevailed over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final in a five-setter and withdrew ahead of the Nick Kyrgios clash. Nadal needed months to recover, never finding the rhythm from the opening months. He experienced an early US Open loss to Frances Tiafoe and missed a chance to become world no.
1. Rafa stayed away from the court for two months and returned to action at the Paris Masters. Nadal lost to Tommy Paul in the second round after a set and a break up. Eager to get more matches by the end of the year, the Spaniard entered his 11th ATP Finals and fell to Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
With no rhythm or encounters in his legs, Rafa lost the crucial points and embraced four consecutive losses for the first time since the end of 2009! The legend changed that in the season's last match, beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-5 to deliver his first victory as a father and wrap up the season in a winning way.