Controversial duo Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic have been left off the list of six nominees for the Newcombe Medal, awarded to the “most outstanding elite tennis player and ambassador” in Australia.
On performance alone, reigning Newcombe medallist Kyrgios and Tomic would have been expected to vie for the award this year.
Kyrgios, 20, was Australia’s best performer at grand slam level in 2015. The world No30 became the first teenager since Roger Federer to reach two major quarter-finals, following his run to the last eight at the Australian Open, and also advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Tomic’s world ranking currently sits at a career-high 18, with the 23-year-old having started the year outside the top 70. He also won a third career ATP title in Bogota in July. But when it came time for Tennis Australia to compile the shortlist for the Newcombe Medal, those achievements were overshadowed by other issues.
Kyrgios received a 28-day suspended sentence and was fined $US25,000 ($A35,600) for making offensive comments in a match against Swiss star Stan Wawrinka at the Rogers Cup in Montreal in August.
“[Thannasi] Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend, sorry to tell you that mate,” Kyrgios said, referring to his fellow Australian player.
He was also accused of tanking in his fourth-round loss to Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon.
Tomic was dumped from the Australian Davis Cup team for the quarter-final against Kazakhstan following a rant against senior TA officials including Pat Rafter and Craig Tiley at Wimbledon.
Tomic was also arrested and charged with resisting arrest and trespassing in Miami in July, although the charges were dropped three months later.
The six nominees for the Newcombe Medal are Samantha Stosur, Kokkinakis, Sam Groth, Casey Dellacqua, John Peers and Dylan Alcott.
Alcott, the 2015 Australian and US Open wheelchair champion, said it was incredible to be the first athlete with a disability to be nominated for the medal.
The winner will be announced at a function at Crown Palladium in Melbourne on 23 November.
Source:https://www.theguardian.com
