London, England (My Sportsbook) - The International Tennis Federation has honored Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic as its 2008 world champions. The world No. 1 Nadal captured Wimbledon, the French Open and an Olympic gold medal while supplanting the great Roger Federer atop the men's rankings. The Spaniard has won the last four French Opens, beating Federer in the last three finals in Paris. The 22-year-old Nadal, who led the ATP in match wins (82) and titles (8) this year, is the first Spanish man to receive this honor. Jankovic finished atop the women's rankings for the first time in her career, despite having never won a major title. The Serbian star was this year's U.S. Open runner-up to Serena Williams. The 23-year-old Jankovic co-led the WTA in match wins (65) this past season on her way to four titles. "Both (Nadal and Jankovic) are excellent ambassadors for their countries, for whom they have achieved considerable success both as individuals and in the ITF team competitions," said ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti. The ITF selects its world champs based on results from the ATP and WTA tours, the Grand Slams, Olympics and the Davis and Fed Cups. The ITF World Champions Dinner will be held on June 2 in Paris, where Nadal and Jankovic will receive their awards. |
