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Cape Town - South African tennis coach Neville Godwin has won the prestigious 2017 ATP coach of the year award.
The award, which was introduced in 2016, honours the coach who helped guide his/her player to a higher level of performance during the season.
Godwin coached compatriot Kevin Anderson for the past four years, with the South African No 1 earlier this week announcing that he would part ways with Godwin.
The 42-year-old Godwin, a former world No 90 and winner of one ATP World Tour title (2001 Newport), guided world No 14 Anderson to his first Grand Slam final at this year’s US Open.
“I’m honoured to receive this award, especially since it was voted for by only my fellow coaches,” Godwin was quoted as saying on the ATP World Tour’s official website.
“There were so many amazing stories on the tour this year, and I’m privileged to have been a part of it.”
Godwin staved off stiff competition for the award as he was nominated alongside Ivan Ljubicic (Roger Federer), Martin Laurendeau (Denis Shapovalov), Toni Nadal and Carlos Moya (Rafael Nadal) and Alexander Zverev snr (Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev).
Meanwhile, world No 2 Federer was the big winner at the awards ceremony in London on Thursday night.
Federer, who won this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, won three awards - ATP fans’ favourite (for a 15th straight year) and voted by fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg sportsmanship award and comeback player of the year.
