Multiple Grand Slam winners Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams won the Best Male and Best Female Tennis Player Awards respectively at the recently concluded 2011 ESPYs hosted by Saturday Night Live comedian Seth Meyers.
The 25-year old Spaniard edged out rival Roger Federer in the aforementioned category. However, the 10-time Grand Slam champion lost in the Best Male Athlete category to Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki. Nadal became the first tennis player to be nominated in this category.
Williams, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, missed almost an entire year on women’s tour when she stepped on broken glass and injured her foot shortly after winning the Wimbledon 2010 tournament. She made her comeback late last month at Eastbourne and Wimbledon but her early losses saw her ranking drop out of the world’s top 100. The American tennis star plans to be more visible at the US Open 2011 Series tournaments.
