Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem among candidates who could vie for ATP's 2022 comeback honors
And who could forget about fellow major champions Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin del Potro if either successfully return to the men's tour.
Among the recently announced ATP end-of-the-season award nominees, the comeback player of the year field recognizes the efforts of Jack Sock, Mackenzie McDonald, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Andy Murray.
As impressive as those players are, though, next year’s list will surely be near-legendary, with future Hall of Famers among those looking to reach their former heights. Here’s a look at the potential candidates.
Roger Federer
Last tournament: Wimbledon 2021
Does the 2017 Comeback Player of the Year have one more run in him? He only played four tournaments this year, shutting down his campaign after a Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance due to continued knee problems. Federer has already announced that he’ll be out for the first half of 2022, and though he casted doubts about a Wimbledon return, he hasn’t ruled it out.
Dominic Thiem
Last tournament: Mallorca, June 2021
Much was expected of the former world No. 3 this year after he won his first Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open. However, the Austrian got off to a slow start, with only one semifinal in the first six months of the year as he struggled with a wrist injury. Thiem ended his year early, but was able to avoid surgery and will be back on the court in a few weeks.
Juan Martin del Potro
Last tournament: Queen’s Club, 2019
Arguably the most snakebit player in the history of the men’s game, Del Potro has made multiple comebacks over the years. Now, though, a freak knee injury then subsequent surgeries has proved to be quite vexing. The “Tower of Tandil” has been back on the court practicing recently, an encouraging sign as he eyes yet another return.
Stan Wawrinka
Last tournament: Doha 2021
Repeatedly breaking up the “Big Three” stranglehold on the Grand Slams with three major titles in as many years, Wawrinka went through a short on- and off-court run this year due to a foot problem before calling it on his ’21 campaign early. The Swiss made a successful return from knee surgery a couple of years ago and will try to channel that energy once again as he tries to climb back up the rankings.