MADRID, April 20 : Tennis ruled the red carpet in Madrid on Monday as Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz were crowned Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards.
The pair were honoured after glittering 2025 campaigns that saw them finish atop the women’s and men’s tennis rankings respectively.
Spaniard Alcaraz, 22, reclaimed the year-end world number one spot after capturing two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and U.S. Open, underlining his supremacy across surfaces.
Belarusian Sabalenka, 27, meanwhile, stood alongside him in the winners’ circle in New York and also reached the final in Australia and France, capping a season of relentless consistency.
With her triumph, Sabalenka joins a roll call of Laureus Sportswoman of the Year recipients from her sport including Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin and Naomi Osaka.
In a first for the awards, the ceremony was hosted by two athletes — both former Laureus winners — Novak Djokovic and Eileen Gu. Last year’s top honours went to gymnast Simone Biles and pole-vaulter Mondo Duplantis.
MCILROY TAKES COMEBACK PRIZE
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy claimed the World Comeback of the Year Award after ending an 11-year wait to complete the career Grand Slam with a playoff victory at the 2025 Masters, a title he defended in 2026.
Formula One’s Lando Norris was named World Breakthrough of the Year, while Paris St Germain took World Team of the Year after a trophy haul in 2025 that included the French league and Cup plus their first Champions League crown.
The Laureus World Sports Awards nominees are selected by the global media, while the winners are determined by the 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.Â
The awards have been presented annually since 2000.
Winners:World Sportsman of the Year Award: Carlos AlcarazWorld Sportswoman of the Year Award: Aryna SabalenkaWorld Team of the Year Award: Paris St GermainWorld Breakthrough of the Year Award: Lando NorrisWorld Comeback of the Year Award: Rory McIlroyWorld Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Gabriel AraujoWorld Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Chloe KimWorld Young Sportsperson of the Year Award: Lamine YamalLaureus Sporting Inspiration Award: Toni KroosLaureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Nadia ComaneciLaureus Sport for Good Award: Futbol Mas