In the world of tennis, the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards have sparked conversations once again, with Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both earning nominations. Notably, Jannik Sinner, in an unforeseen twist, was eliminated from the running.
The Laureus Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of sport, will celebrate its silver jubilee on April 21st in a grand ceremony in Madrid. The event is expected to be graced by the who’s who of the sports world. Among the nominees for the coveted Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year titles are Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, and Sabalenka, the reigning WTA world No 1.
Alcaraz, the Spanish prodigy, has had a remarkable year with his maiden French Open victory, a successful defense of his Wimbledon title, and an Olympic silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, the 21-year-old is up against stiff competition from other outstanding athletes like swimmer Leon Marchand, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, cyclist Tadej Pogacar, and Formula 1 star Max Verstappen.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, bagged her nominations following triumphant wins at both the Australian Open and US Open titles in 2024. This marked her debut as the year-end world No 1 in the WTA season. The Belarusian will be vying for the award alongside legendary gymnast Simone Biles, 2024 winner and footballer Aitana Bonmati, and athletics sensations Sifan Hassan, Faith Kipyegon, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
The Laureus Awards also recognized wheelchair tennis star Tokito Oda, nominating him for the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award.
However, the absence of Jannik Sinner from the nominee list has become the talk of the town. Sinner, who also clinched two Grand Slam titles in 2024 and ended the year as the world No 1, was removed from the shortlist due to a three-month doping suspension. The Laureus Academy took this decision after careful consideration, as revealed by Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick in a statement last week.
Tennis players have historically had a successful run at the Laureus Awards, and if Alcaraz, Sabalenka, or Oda emerge victorious, they’ll join an esteemed list of laureates. The sport has received the most wins and nominations in the Sportsman of the Year category. Icons such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have won the award five times each, while Rafael Nadal has twice been the recipient.
In the Sportswoman of the Year category, Serena Williams holds the record for the most wins. Other winners include Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin, and Naomi Osaka, bringing the total tennis victories to seven and 26 nominations in this category.
If Oda secures a win, he’ll follow in the tracks of Esther Vergeer and Diede de Groot, past recipients of the award in the disability category.
As the countdown to the grand ceremony begins, the tennis world awaits eagerly to see who among their ranks will bring home the esteemed awards.
