Alcaraz and Sabalenka Honored at Laureus World Sports Awards

Madrid: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were awarded the Male and Female Athletes of the Year titles at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards held in Madrid, Spain. The event, known for recognizing top-tier athletes globally, was hosted by Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic and American-Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu.

According to Thai News Agency, Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked as the world number 2 in men's tennis, secured the Male Athlete of the Year award. Alcaraz's remarkable performance over the past year included victories at the French Open, US Open, and the Australian Open in January. Aryna Sabalenka, the world number 1 in women's tennis from Belarus, claimed the Female Athlete of the Year honor after clinching her second consecutive US Open title.

The Team of the Year accolade was awarded to Paris Saint-Germain, the French Ligue 1 champions, who achieved a historic victory by winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2025. In individual honors, Northern Irish golfer Laurie McIlroy took home the Comeback of the Year award after defending her Masters title successfully, while Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old talent from Barcelona, received the Young Player of the Year award.

Additional awards included Formula One champion Lando Norris winning the Breakthrough of the Year, former German national team midfielder Toni Kroos receiving the World Sports Inspiration award, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci being honored with a Lifetime Achievement award, US snowboarder Chloe Kim winning the Extreme Athlete of the Year, and Brazilian Paralympic swimmer Gabriel Araujo being named Disabled Athlete of the Year.