Jannik Sinner attended the Laureus World Sports Awards as one of the nominees for the World Sportsman of the Year. While the world No. 1 was beaten to the award by rival Carlos Alcaraz, he still enjoyed his evening in Madrid.
Tennis dominated at the Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday, as Alcaraz won the World Sportsman of the Year award and Aryna Sabalenka was named the World Sportswoman of the Year.
Jannik Sinner on Being Starstruck at Laureus World Sports Awards
Despite missing out on the top award, Sinner was pleased to get the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in sports at the Laureus World Sports Awards. He reflected on meeting soccer legend Luis Figo and freestyle skier Eileen Gu.
“There were so many, so it’s tough to pick one. I had the pleasure of taking a picture with Luis Figo, which was very nice. I’m a big fan of him. He seems like a very nice person, which for me is even more important,” Sinner said in an interview with Sky Sports.
Sinner was also impressed by Gu, who hosted the event alongside Novak Djokovic. Gu is a freestyle skiing legend who has won three gold medals and three silver medals at the Winter Olympics.
“Also, Eileen Gu, together with Novak Djokovic. Little bit of skiing connection, it’s also nice. How she hosted the ceremony together with Novak, it was quite impressive to see. It was a beautiful evening,” he added.
Who did Jannik Sinner ask for a photo with at the Laureus World Sports Awards? đŸ“¸đŸ¤” pic.twitter.com/jldQnCcF0e
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) April 21, 2026
Sinner enjoys skiing during his downtime from tennis. The Italian began skiing at the age of three and even competed at events as one of Italy’s top juniors before switching focus to tennis at the age of 13. He once credited skiing with playing a crucial role in his becoming a strong tennis player.
After the event, Gu posted a picture of herself with Sinner and Alcaraz on Instagram.
On the tennis side, Sinner has started his preparations for the Madrid Open, where he will look to become the first player in ATP Tour history to win five straight Masters 1000 titles. He goes into the tournament having won the Paris Masters, the Indian Wells Masters, the Miami Open, and the Monte-Carlo Masters, dropping just one set in the process.
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Sinner has lost just two of his 26 matches on the ATP Tour this year. With Alcaraz currently sidelined due to a wrist injury, Sinner will be the favorite to lift the men’s singles Masters 1000 title in Madrid.
The tournament will also give him the opportunity to fine-tune his preparations for the French Open, where he aims to complete the career Grand Slam.
