The top-ranked nominees for the Newcombe Medal, Australian tennis' best and fairest award, both agree on a likely winner for the prize, and it's not them.
World no.21 Sam Stosur and world no.25 Daria Gavrilova predict wheelchair tennis ace and dual Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott will become the first disabled athlete to claim the medal at the Melbourne ceremony on Monday night.
"Dylan is obviously the stand-out with his two gold medals and what he's been able to achieve this year on top of many years. You'd have to say he's the No.1 contender," Stosur said at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
As well as winning the singles and doubles quad tennis tournaments at the Rio Games, Alcott defended his Australian Open title in a stellar 2016.
But Tennis Australia's night of nights is again mired in controversy, with world No.13 Nick Kyrgios and world No.26 Bernard Tomic overlooked for nominations amid on and off-court transgressions.
The 32-year-old Stosur suggested if the award was based purely on tournament performance, Kyrgios would be on the six-person shortlist.
"There's reasons why he hasn't been nominated, not because of his tennis," she said.
"There's ways we've got to behave and that's what everyone else has managed to do.
"Nick has his issues off-court, on-court and all that but nobody doubts he's a great tennis player.
"Unfortunately some of those other things have led to a lack of a nomination this year."
The prize is awarded to the "most outstanding elite tennis player and ambassador for the sport", with Newcombe helping to decide the winner.
Stosur, a three-time winner of the award, said she wasn't expecting to add to her tally, despite a run to the last four at Roland Garros in a year where she again finished up as Australia's leading female tennis player.
Kyrgios claimed the prize in 2014, with Sam Groth winning last year before enduring one of the worst seasons of his career.
Gavrilova, nominated for the prize for the first time, has a clear view on who should win.
"I think Dylan should win it," she said.
"He's a good friend of mine and I love to hang out with him. He's a pretty cool guy. He deserves it."
The Moscow-born star said she was delighted with a breakthrough season, including a fourth-round Australian Open appearance and a first WTA-level final at the Kremlin Cup in October, that should see her seeded at Melbourne Park in January.
"I started the well pretty well and I finished the year pretty well. I'm proud of where I'm at right now," she said.
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