Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka won the biggest awards at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 event in Madrid on Monday, April 20. Alcaraz clinched the Sportsman of the Year and Sanalenka won the Sportswoman of the Year awards for their remarkable performances in the 2025 season.
Alcaraz won eight singles titles, including two Grand Slam events, in 2025, beating his rival Jannik Sinner and French footballer Ousmane Dembele for the prestigious award. The 22-year-old Spaniard also won the Australian Open in January this year to complete a career Grand Slam and to become the youngest to win seven Majors.
Aryna Sabalenka has been dominating the WTA No. 1 rankings for the last two years. The Belarusian star defended her US Open title and reached the finals of the Australian Open and the French Open in 2025. Sabalenka defeated the American swimmer Katie Ledecky and 400m hurdler specialist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to win the Sportswoman award at Laureus.
Laureus Awards 2026 winners list
In a dazzling event at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, Lando Norris won the World Breakthrough of the Year award. The British Formula 1 driver famously ended Max Verstappen's reign by winning the 2025 Drivers' Championship.
Northern Irish golf legend, Rory McIlroy, was honoured with the Comeback of the Year award. He famously won the 2025 Masters, completing a career Grand Slam 11 years after winning the other three golf majors.
Spanish footballer Lamine Yamala won the Young Sportsperson of the Year award for his heroics with Barcelona last year. Former German midfielder Toni Kroos claimed the World Sporting Inspiration award, while the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), clinched the Team of the Year honors.
PSG overcame the Indian women's cricket team and the England women's football team to win the Laureus award for the first time.
- Sportsman of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz (Tennis)
- Sportswoman of the Year: Aryna Sabalenka (Tennis)
- World Breakthrough of the Year: Lando Norris (Formula 1)
- Young Sportsperson of the Year: Lamine Yamal (Football)
- Comeback of the Year award: Rory McIlroy (Golf)
- World Sporting Inspiration Award: Toni Kroos (Football)
- Team of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain (Football)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Nadia Comaneci (Gymnast)
- World Action Sportsperson Award: Chloe Kim (Snowboard)
- World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Gabriel Araujo (Swimming)
The 2026 Laureus Awards event hosted by 24-time Grand Slam winner and five-time Laureus Sportsman of the Year winner Novak Djokovic and the Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu.
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