Barcelona’s Yamal won the Young Sportsman of the Year award in 2025, a year after winning the Breakthrough Award.
Published April 21, 2026
Tennis dominated the red carpet in Madrid as Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz were named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards.
The pair were honored on Monday after a stellar 2025 campaign that saw them top the women’s and men’s tennis rankings respectively.
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The 22-year-old Spaniard won two Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, reclaiming his year-end world number one spot and underscoring his dominance across all surfaces.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Belarusian Sabalenka stood alongside him in the winner’s circle in New York and also reached the finals in Australia and France, capping off a season of relentless consistency.
With her win, Sabalenka joins the roll call of the sport’s Laureus Sportswoman of the Year winners, including Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin and Naomi Osaka.
Barcelona and Spain athlete Lamine Yamal (18) won the Young Athlete of the Year award. This is Barça’s young forward’s second award since he was named Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year in 2025, making him the youngest athlete to win the Laureus Award twice.
German soccer great Toni Kroos received the World Sports Inspiration Award, while former gymnast Nadia Comaneci received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The World Action Sports Athlete of the Year award went to American snowboarder Chloe Kim.
Brazilian Gabriel Araujo has been named world athlete with a disability of the year.
In a first for the award, the ceremony was hosted by two athletes, former Laureus champions Novak Djokovic and Irene Gu. Last year’s top prize went to gymnast Simone Biles and pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis.
McIlroy wins Comeback Award
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy won the World Comeback of the Year award after a playoff win at the 2025 Masters, ending an 11-year wait for a career Grand Slam and defending his title in 2026.
F1’s Lando Norris was named World Breakthrough of the Year and Paris Saint-Germain were named World Team of the Year in 2025 after winning trophies including the French league, the French Cup and their first ever Champions League.
Candidates for the Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by the world’s media and winners are determined by 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
This award has been presented annually since 2000.
2026 Laureus Award Winners:
World Sportsman of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz Sportsman of the Year: Arina Sabalenka
World Team of the Year Award: paris saint germain
World Breakthrough of the Year Award: land norris
World Comeback of the Year Award: Rory McIlroy
World Disabled Athlete of the Year Award: Gabriel Araujo
World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: chloe kim
World Young Athlete of the Year Award: Lamine Yamal
Laureus Sports Inspiration Award: toni kroos
Lifetime Achievement Award: Nadia Comaneci
Laureus Sport for Good Award: football mass
