Tennis duo Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz sweep top Laureus honours in Madrid

MADRID – Tennis ruled the red carpet in Madrid on April 20, as Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were crowned Sportsman ad Sportswoman of the Year respectively at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

The pair were honoured after glittering 2025 campaigns that saw them finish atop the men and women’s rankings.

Spain’s Alcaraz, 22, reclaimed the year-end world No. 1 spot after capturing two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and US Open, underlining his supremacy across surfaces.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, stood alongside him in the winners’ circle in New York and the 27-year-old Belarusian also reached the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, 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 Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams, 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.

Elsewhere, golfer Rory McIlroy claimed the World Comeback of the Year Award after ending an 11-year wait to complete the career Grand Slam with a play-off victory at the 2025 Masters, a title he retained in 2026.

Formula One’s Lando Norris clinched World Breakthrough of the Year, while Paris Saint-Germain took World Team of the Year after a trophy haul in 2025 that included the Ligue 1 and French Cup titles, as well as their first Champions League crown.

The Laureus World Sports Awards nominees are selected by the global media, while winners are determined by the 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

The awards have been presented annually since 2000.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz insisted on April 20 that he would rather forgo defending his Roland Garros title than rush treatment for a “serious” wrist injury.

The 22-year-old pulled out of the Barcelona Open clay-court tournament last week when he felt his wrist “give out on a return” and revealed it to be “a more serious injury than any of us expected”.

He then withdrew from the Madrid Open on April 17, casting doubt on his participation at the French Open, where the main draw starts on May 24.

On April 20, that doubt deepened when he told the press at the Laureus Awards ceremony he was taking a long-term view.

“I’d rather come back a little later but in great shape than come back early, rushing around, and unwell,” he said.

“God willing, I have a very long career ahead of me, many years, and pushing myself too hard at this Roland Garros could seriously harm me in future tournaments.

“Things happen in the professional world, you have to accept them. I need to recover really well if I don’t want it to affect me later on.”

The world No. 2 lost his top ranking following his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on April 12.

Before that, Alcaraz had won his past 17 matches on clay, dating back to last season when he lifted titles in Rome and at Roland Garros. REUTERS, AFP

Winners