ATP awards over the years

[Moose Malloy]

just came across this on wikepedia, some forgotten names:

Most Improved Player
Year Player Nationality
2005 Rafael Nadal Spain
2004 Joachim Johansson Sweden
2003 Rainer Schuettler Germany
2002 Paradorn Srichaphan Thailand
2001 Goran Ivanišević Croatia
2000 Marat Safin Russia
1999 Nicolás Lapentti Ecuador
1998 Andre Agassi United States
1997 Patrick Rafter Australia
1996 Tim Henman United Kingdom
1995 Thomas Enqvist Sweden
1994 Yevgeny Kafelnikov Russia
1993 Todd Martin United States
1992 Henrik Holm Sweden
1991 Jim Courier United States
1990 Pete Sampras United States
1989 Michael Chang United States
1988 Andre Agassi United States
1987 Peter Lundgren Sweden
1986 Mikael Pernfors Sweden
1985 Boris Becker Germany
1983 Jimmy Arias United States
1982 Peter McNamara Australia
1981 Ivan Lendl Czech Republic
1979 Victor Pecci Italy
1978 John McEnroe United States
1977 Brian Gottfried United States
1976 Wojtek Fibak Poland
1975 Vitas Gerulaitis United States
1974 Guillermo Vilas Argentina
1973 Vijay Amritraj India

Comeback Player of the Year
Year Player Nationality
2005 James Blake United States
2004 Tommy Haas Germany
2003 Mark Philippoussis Australia
2002 Richard Krajicek Netherlands
2001 Guillermo Cañas Argentina
2000 Sergi Bruguera Spain
1999 Chris Woodruff United States
1998 Younes El Aynaoui Morocco
1997 Sergi Bruguera Spain
1996 Stephane Simian France
1995 Derrick Rostagno United States
1994 Guy Forget France
1993 Mikael Pernfors Sweden
1992 Henri Leconte France
1991 Jimmy Connors United States
1990 Thomas Muster Austria
1989 Goran Prpic
1983 Butch Walts
1982 Jeff Borowiak
1981 Bob Lutz United States
1979 Arthur Ashe United States

Note: in 1980 and from 1984 to 1988 the award was not given

Stefan Edberg Sportmanship Award
Year Player Nationality
2005 Roger Federer Switzerland
2004 Roger Federer Switzerland
2003 Paradorn Srichaphan Thailand
2002 Paradorn Srichaphan Thailand
2001 Patrick Rafter Australia
2000 Patrick Rafter Australia
1999 Patrick Rafter Australia
1998 Alex Corretja Spain
1997 Patrick Rafter Australia
1996 Alex Corretja Spain
1995 Stefan Edberg Sweden
1994 Todd Martin United States
1993 Todd Martin United States
1992 Stefan Edberg Sweden
1991 John Fitzgerald United States
1990 Stefan Edberg Sweden
1989 Stefan Edberg Sweden
1988 Stefan Edberg Sweden
1987 Miloslav Mečíř Czech Republic
1986 Yannick Noah France
1985 Mats Wilander Sweden
1984 Brian Gottfried United States
1983 Jose Higueras Spain
1982 Steve Denton United States

 

[justineheninhoogenbandfan]

Yannick Noah the sportsmanship award? My recollections of him, although I was still very young when he was in his prime, and saw him more towards the end of his career, where not that he was a great "sportsman". He was very emotional on court, and entertaining, but he could go into tantrums on court sometimes. I have never heard of John Fitzgerald or Stephane Simian, it would be interesting to look up a bio on them since I know zilch about those two guys.

I would have thought Agassi in 98 would be a better candidate for comeback player the most improved, since he still wasnt anywhere near as great a player in 98 as he was in 94-95 or even any better then 88-92. It was night and day from 97, but he still was below the level of a player he had been in his career.

 

[Zaragoza]

Funny that Federer has never been the most improved player of the year

 

[psamp14]

federer should have been comeback player of the year in 2006....the stats dont even lie...

2005-2 grand slams
2006-3 grand slams

 

[justineheninhoogenbandfan]

federer should have been comeback player of the year in 2006....the stats dont even lie...

2005-2 grand slams
2006-3 grand slams

Yes I agree, he really came back from his "down" 2005 well.

 

[Zaragoza]

Also, Connors and Borg have never been the most improved player of the year. At least Connors made a comeback in 1991
I miss Hewitt and Kuerten in the recent years.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Yannick Noah the sportsmanship award? My recollections of him, although I was still very young when he was in his prime, and saw him more towards the end of his career, where not that he was a great "sportsman". He was very emotional on court, and entertaining, but he could go into tantrums on court sometimes.

Noah was very popular with his peers, much like Federer today. I don't really recall any big tantrums, but then this was the 80s, so a tantrum back then usually went unnoticed, unlike today when all players are expected to be robots who have no emotions or have no personality whatsever.

Funny that Federer has never been the most improved player of the year

Well, its all relative to other players, not just what the player does himself. For example Shuettler won most improved in '03. I think he was outside the top 50 & ended the year top 10. Federer won Wimbledon for the first time in '03 & finished #2, after finishing '02 in the top 8. Who improved more? I'd say Schuettler. Usually that award is reserved for players that make huge ranking jumps. But Newcomer of the Year sometimes can apply to most improved & vice versa.

Newcomer of the Year
Year Player Nationality
2005 Gaël Monfils France
2004 Florian Mayer Germany
2003 Rafael Nadal Spain
2002 Paul-Henri Mathieu France
2001 Andy Roddick United States
2000 Olivier Rochus Belgium
1999 Juan Carlos Ferrero Spain
1998 Marat Safin Russia
1997 Julian Alonso Spain
1996 Dominik Hrbatý Slovakia
1995 Mark Philippoussis Australia
1994 Albert Costa Spain
1993 Patrick Rafter Australia
1992 Andrei Medvedev Ukraine
1991 Byron Black Zimbabwe
1990 Fabrice Santoro France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_Awards