Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony. Photo: REUTERS
LONDON:
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.
The awards have been presented annually since 2000.
Winners: World Sportsman of the Year Award: Carlos Alcaraz World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Aryna Sabalenka World Team of the Year Award: Paris St Germain World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Lando Norris World Comeback of the Year Award: Rory McIlroy World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Gabriel Araujo World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Chloe Kim World Young Sportsperson of the Year Award: Lamine Yamal Laureus Sporting Inspiration Award: Toni Kroos Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Nadia Comaneci Laureus Sport for Good Award: Futbol Mas.
Alcaraz to miss French Open
Carlos Alcaraz is awaiting the results of tests on his injured wrist before making a decision about defending his French Open title next month, the world number two said.
The seven-times Grand Slam champion picked up the injury in the first round of the Barcelona Open earlier this month before withdrawing from the tournament.
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Scans showed the issue was more serious than initially thought and he then skipped the Madrid Open.
“The next test will be crucial,” Alcaraz told Spanish television channel TVE.
“We’ve been trying to do everything we can do to make sure that this test goes well. I’m trying to be very patient. But we are good, we are just waiting a little bit.
“We have a few tests in the next few days and then we will see how the injury is, and what the next steps will be,” the 22-year-old added.
Alcaraz, who was crowned Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards on Monday, surrendered the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner after losing to the Italian in the Monte Carlo Masters final days before his Barcelona opener.
