By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, April 20, 2026
Photo credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty for Laureus
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka topped the world rankings in 2025.
The Grand Slam champions were each honored for their global greatness in Madrid tonight.
Alcaraz was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and Sabalenka received the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday night.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty ImagesGrand Slam King Novak Djokovic and Olympian Eileen Gu co-hosted the awards, which were attended by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and former No. 1 Boris Becker.
In his acceptance speech, Alcaraz thanked his family, team and tennis fans all over the world for inspiring him and placing a premium on character.
“At the end of a career people can’t remember your titles, your wins, your achievements,” Alcaraz said. “But the way you treat others, the respect you showed, the person you are every day, that really stays. That’s what really matters to me.
“That’s why I want to thank my family and my team. I’m lucky to have them here. They are with me every single day in the good moments and especially in the toughest ones. They help me to grow not only as a player but as a person. This award belongs to them too.”
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