Progress is rarely linear, in life or in sport. With the right mindset, a setback can provide an opportunity to come back stronger.
That is exactly what the four nominees for Comeback Player Of The Year in the 2022 ATP Awards have worked so hard to do this season. Borna Coric, Stan Wawrinka, Wu Yibing and Dominic Thiem are all on the shortlist for the award, which goes to a player who has overcome injury to re-establish himself as one of the top players on Tour.
The winner, as selected by the players, will be announced during Awards week, starting 12 December.
| Player |
Career-High Before Comeback |
Lowest Ranking In 2022 |
2022 End-Of-Year Ranking (Difference) |
| Borna Coric | No. 12 | No. 278 | No. 26 (+252) |
| Stan Wawrinka | No. 3 | No. 361 | No. 149 (+212) |
| Wu Yibing | No. 298 | No. 1869 | No. 117 (+1,752) |
| Dominic Thiem | No. 3 | No. 352 | No. 105 (+247) |
Borna Coric
SInce undergoing surgery in May 2021, Coric has had to spend between 30 and 90 minutes a day working on his right shoulder to maintain it. Considerable off-court commitment is necessary for the Croatian to even make it onto court, let alone to start winning matches on the ATP Tour.
That hasn’t stopped the 26-year-old from surging back up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this year. Having dropped as low as No. 278 in May, Coric ended the season at No. 26, an inspirational return following 12 months out due to his injury.
After making his comeback at Indian Wells in March, Coric was understandably rusty. Yet an ATP Challenger Tour title won in Italy in June was a sign that he was starting to find his feet again, and the former World No. 12 then charged back into the ATP Tour winners’ circle in style at the Western & Southern Open in August.
“I have no words, to be honest,” said Coric after taking out five Top 20 players in a row, including Rafael Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas, to claim a stunning maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling… I thought I could play well. I…
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