What's the best sportsmanship moment of this year?

[stefanstennis]

The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award contenders were announced on October 17th. While the players are voting the winner, here's a celebration of all the candidates (Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov, Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori) with four videos capturing the best on-court moment of fair play in 2014 for each of them.

And don't miss the chance to vote your own favourite moment in our poll!

Watch the videos»

 

[Kieran]

I can't think of why those four would be chosen ahead of any other random four...

 

[tented]

Of the four, Cilic wins.

 

[Front242]

I'd go with this one! A hilarious moment following 2 terrible losses for poor Robredo. At least he saw the funny side of it.

 

[Iona16]

I'd go with this one! A hilarious moment following 2 terrible losses for poor Robredo. At least he saw the funny side of it.

I can't say I blame him.

 

[Iona16]

I can't think of why those four would be chosen ahead of any other random four...

No, me neither. The names seem a bit random. Cilic is a surprise. Federer is not.

 

[mrzz]

Robredo's reaction is, seriously, a better vote than the other four. Dimitrov's reaction was nice, ok, but he would be close to a complete jerk if he ignored that the girl was not felling well. Cilic reaction was almost casual, and Bernardes suggested to replay the point. Federer's reaction was fine, inspiring or whatever, it shows his will to win, but this is not exactly the point. Nishikori, what else he could do? Hit Nadal with his racquet?

Robredo's reaction, on the other hand, by showing sense of humour after a very tough loss, joking exactly with the reaction of bad loser, is sportsmanship at its best. Of course the "image" and the nature of joke would prevent him from seriously being considered, but for an educated audience it is obvious that there is ten times more sportsmanship in his reaction than in all the nominees combined.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I wonder who makes the initial selection. Even though I am a fed fan and I generally think
he behaves very sportsmanly, I don't find any evidence of his sportsmanly conduct in the
posted video (did I miss something). What Grigor did is general humanitarian gesture
and so I don't think that is evidence of sportsmanship either. Again, the posted video of
Kei has nothing much to do with sportsmanship either. I think Cilic should not even be
a nominee, at least this year. How can you be a sportsmanship award winner when you
failed a blood test in the same year and served a ban.

I am sure there are more deserving candidates even though I can't name specific
players now.

 

[Riotbeard]

I can't think of why those four would be chosen ahead of any other random four...

Agree. None of these guys have every struck me as particularly good or bad sportsman. Not even capable of voting in the poll.

 

[Federberg]

I suspect that Federer gets lots of brownie points for stuff that goes on in the locker-room. It's the only thing that explains the number of times he's won this award. Yet you hear a guy like Stakhovsky who claimed Federer is unapproachable these days because of his success, and you don't know what to think. Perhaps (he made the comment when the players were agitating for more money) he was just upset at the time.. I don't know. I do find it a bit surprising to be honest

 

[Denis]

My unbiased opinion is that either Kei or Novak should get it.

Kei kept fighting indeed despite the initial boos by the awful Madrid crowd. And Novak is Santa Clause, he concedes points much more generously than any other player.

The reason for Roger's nomination is just ridiculous.

 

[Kieran]

The reason for Roger's nomination is just ridiculous.

How? A single tear rolling down his face, representing so much humanity?

Hater! :ras:

 

[Riotbeard]

Yeah I guess Kei of all these guys, but it does seem suspicious that only stars of the sport are good sportsmen.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Last year's anti-sportsmanship award should go to Milos for touching the net and then not owning it up in his match against JMDP in Canada Masters.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I vote Rafael Nadal for not retiring in the AO final and allowing Wawrinka his moment.

I mean hey, that might be bull$hit and arbitrary but so are most of these nominations.

 

[Denis]

I vote Rafael Nadal for not retiring in the AO final and allowing Wawrinka his moment.

I mean hey, that might be bull$hit and arbitrary but so are most of these nominations.

That is actually a pretty good nomination for as good as these things get. Everyone forgets about that since it is almost a year ago.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

That is not a compelling nomination either. Nobody has quit in the middle of GS final as far
as I know in the history of the game. Unless he is dying if he continues to play, it is normal
courtesy to play. So, it does not make a compelling case either.

 

[Riotbeard]

I vote Rafael Nadal for not retiring in the AO final and allowing Wawrinka his moment.

I mean hey, that might be bull$hit and arbitrary but so are most of these nominations.

Yeah I am no rafa fan, but at least there is a clear specific instance, where he was an abnormally good sportsman this year.

 

[brokenshoelace]

That is not a compelling nomination either. Nobody has quit in the middle of GS final as far
as I know in the history of the game. Unless he is dying if he continues to play, it is normal
courtesy to play. So, it does not make a compelling case either.

If only I stated as much in the very post I made. Oh wait... Reading back, I even called it "bull$hit" which by definition, isn't compelling.

PS: Justine Henin once did. And yes, I realize she's a female and I realize it doesn't change anything, but you said "history of the game" so I'm just pointing that out.

 

[Federberg]

That is not a compelling nomination either. Nobody has quit in the middle of GS final as far
as I know in the history of the game. Unless he is dying if he continues to play, it is normal
courtesy to play. So, it does not make a compelling case either.

If only I stated as much in the very post I made. Oh wait... Reading back, I even called it "bull$hit" which by definition, isn't compelling.

PS: Justine Henin once did. And yes, I realize she's a female and I realize it doesn't change anything, but you said "history of the game" so I'm just pointing that out.

I didn't want to say anything for fear of being accused of being anti-Rafa. But what else could he have done? Henin was a precedent that no one would want to emulate. While I applaud him for doing what he did, I'm not sure it rises to the form of sportsmanship. It was the professional thing to do