Japanese wheelchair tennis player Shingo Kunieda has been nominated for the IPC Athlete of the Month award for January ©Getty Images

Japanese wheelchair tennis player Shingo Kunieda has been nominated for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) athlete of the month award after winning the Australia Open.

The 35-year-old won his 44th Grand Slam title in Melbourne, equalling the total managed by Dutch legend Esther Vergeer.

He beat Britain's Gordon Reid 6-4, 6-4 in the men’s final, giving him his 10th Australian Open title.

Kunieda has been nominated for the January accolade alongside Michelle Jorgensen of Canada, who earned gold in the women’s under-70 kilogram contest at the International Blind Sports Federation Judo American Championships in Montreal. 

Para-Alpine skier Zhang Mengqiu has also been shortlisted, winning China's first-ever gold medal at a World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup. 

This came in Veysonnaz in Switzerland, with Zhang then going on to achieve three more gold medals at the following two World Cups.

Kate O'Brien of Canada is nominated for the award after her impressive performance at the Para Cycling Track World Championships ©IPC
Kate O'Brien of Canada is nominated for the award after her impressive performance at the Para Cycling Track World Championships ©IPC

Kate O'Brien of Canada is up for the award after breaking the 500 metres time trial WC4 world record at her first Para-Cycling Track World Championships.

She recorded a time of 35.223 seconds at the event in Milton in Canada.

Germany's Anja Wicker brings up the nomination list, having defeated last season’s overall Crystal Globe winner in biathlon, Kendall Gretsch, to win her home Nordic Skiing World Cup in Altenberg.

The nominations were compiled from submissions by National Paralympic Committees and International Federations.

A winner will be decided by a public vote on the IPC website, with the deadline on Thursday (February 13). 

Australian snowboarder Ben Tudhope won the award for December.