The 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards will take place on April 20 in Madrid. Several tennis players have been nominated in various categories, including Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Amanda Anisimova, among others.
Recently, the Belarusian expressed being “honored” at being nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.
Aryna Sabalenka Reacts to Laureus Award Nominations Alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
This year, Alcaraz and Sinner have been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year category, while Anisimova is recognized in the Laureus World Comeback of the Year category. João Fonseca is nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award. It’s worth noting that Alcaraz is already a Laureus winner, having claimed the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in 2023.
In 2025, Sabalenka had an impressive year, winning four titles: the Brisbane International, the Miami Open, the Madrid Open, and the US Open. She also finished as the runner-up in several tournaments, including the Australian Open, the BNP Paribas Open, the French Open, and the WTA Finals.
These outstanding results in 2025 earned her a nomination for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year.
Currently in California for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Sabalenka was asked about her feelings regarding her nomination. In response, the World No. 1 said, “It means a lot, and I’m honored to be nominated. It’s a huge thing in sport, and I really hope, I don’t know, I can win it, and I can get that beautiful little, I’ll say, trophy. But, yeah, it’s a huge honor, and I’m hoping for the best,” Sabalenka said.
Additionally, Sabalenka took to social media to share the news of her nomination, stating she feels “blessed” and “honored.” Alcaraz and Sinner also shared their nomination news on social media.
“blessed and honored to be nominated!@laureussport #Laureus26 🫶🏼,” Sabalenka captioned her Instagram story.
Looking ahead to Indian Wells, Sabalenka, Sinner, and Alcaraz are all seeded, meaning they will start their campaigns in the second round after a first-round bye. The Belarusian is the top seed at Tennis Paradise, and she will face either wild card Alycia Parks or qualifier Himeno Sakatsume in her opening match.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz, the top seed at the ATP Masters 1000 hard-court tournament, will compete against the winner of the first-round match between Grigor Dimitrov and Térence Atmane in his opening match.
Sinner, seeded second, will go up against James Duckworth or a qualifier in the second round.
