Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka Win 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards

Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were named the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards winners for Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively, at the ceremony held in Monaco on April 20, 2026. The accolades recognized their dominant performances across the 2025 tennis season, during which both players secured multiple Grand Slam titles and reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis star, received his award while wearing a protective cast on his right wrist, a detail that drew attention during the event. He had sustained the injury during the Davis Cup quarterfinals in November 2025 but continued to compete through the Australian Open and into the clay-court season, ultimately winning the French Open and Wimbledon before undergoing surgery in July 2026. Despite the physical limitation, he was honored for his resilience and on-court achievements throughout the season.

Sabalenka, representing Belarus, won her first Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award after a breakthrough 2025 season in which she captured the Australian Open and US Open titles, held the WTA world No. 1 ranking for 26 consecutive weeks and led her nation to the Billie Jean King Cup final. Her victory marked the first time a Belarusian athlete had won the Laureus award in either category.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, established in 2000 and presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, honor athletic excellence based on voting by a global panel of former sports legends. The 2026 ceremony took place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, with nominees selected from performances between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. Other finalists in the Sportsman of the Year category included Lionel Messi, Noah Lyles, and Tadej Pogačar, while Sabalenka competed against Simone Biles, Erin Jackson, and Katie Ledecky in the Sportswoman category.

Alcaraz’s win made him the second male tennis player to receive the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award, following Novak Djokovic’s wins in 2012 and 2016. Sabalenka joined an elite group of female tennis players honored by Laureus, including Serena Williams (2003, 2010), Maria Sharapova (2006), and Ashleigh Barty (2020). Both athletes dedicated their awards to their teams and families during their acceptance remarks, with Alcaraz emphasizing the role of his medical and coaching staff in managing his injury.

The 2026 Laureus Awards also featured special recognitions, including the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie and the Sport for Good Award granted to a grassroots cricket initiative in India for its work in youth education and gender inclusion. The ceremony was broadcast globally via official Laureus partners and streamed on the organization’s website and social media platforms.