Factory Yamaha MotoGP star Valentino Rossi has been nominated in the prestigious Laureus Awards but will have to defeat tennis legend Roger Federer to win in the Comeback of the Year category.

Rossi returned to competition just 22 days after breaking his leg in an enduro crash, taking a front-row qualifying position and bagged fifth place in the race at Aragon. The Doctor has won the award before, taking it when he came back from his 2010 leg break at Mugello.

He goes up against Federer - arguably the greatest-ever tennis player - who returned after a knee injury to win his fifth Australian Open and eighth Wimbledon titles, Barcelona FC for something, 100m hurdle world champion Sally Pearson, 100m sprint world champion Justin Gatlin and Brazilian football club Chapecoense, who made a remarkable return to competition after being involved in a tragic plane crash.