Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will face off once again for top individual sporting honors after being nominated for the 2026 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award, underscoring tennis’s continuing impact across the world of sport.
Alcaraz, the current ATP world No. 1, and Sinner, No. 2, earned their nominations following another exceptional season on the men’s tour in 2025. Alcaraz captured both Roland Garros and the US Open and finished the year ranked No. 1, while Sinner claimed titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the ATP Finals in Turin.
The Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony, which celebrates the world’s top athletes and the broader social impact of sport, will be held on April 20 at Madrid’s Cibeles Palace during the Mutua Madrid Open. Other nominees in the Sportsman of the Year category include footballer Ousmane Dembele, track and field star Mondo Duplantis, motorcycling champion Marc Marquez and cycling standout Tadej Pogacar.
Source: The News international
Tennis is also strongly represented in other award categories. WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leads the Sportswoman of the Year nominations after capturing her fourth Grand Slam title at the 2025 US Open and reaching finals at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the WTA Finals. She is joined in the category by athletes from football, athletics and swimming.
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca earned a nomination for Breakthrough of the Year after a breakout season that included wins at ATP events in Buenos Aires and Basel and main-draw Grand Slam victories. American Amanda Anisimova was recognized in the Comeback of the Year category following her run to back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open after a mental health break.
Off the court, the Kings County Tennis League was shortlisted for the Laureus Sport for Good Award for its long-term work bringing tennis and life skills to young people in Brooklyn, New York.
Overall, the nominations reflect another significant year for tennis, with top performances and compelling stories earning recognition among the world’s greatest athletes.
