Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were both winners at Monday night’s Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.
Djokovic won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for a record-equalling fifth time, adding to the awards he won in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. The Rafael Nadal Foundation received the Laureus Sport for Good Award during the glittering ceremony.
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The 36-year-old Serbian was recognised for his remarkable 2023 season in which he came within one set of completing a calendar-year Grand Slam. Djokovic won majors at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the US Open, missing out only at Wimbledon, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set final. He ended the year by winning a record seventh Nitto ATP Finals title and by claiming Year-End No. 1 Presented By PIF for a record eighth time.
“I am incredibly honoured to have won my fifth Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, said Djokovic, who recently became the oldest World No. 1 in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings. “I think back to [season] 2012, when I won it for the first time as a 24-year-old. I am very proud to be here 12 years later, reflecting on a year that brought me and my fans a lot of excitement and success.”
“It was thrilling to return to Australia last January and win my 10th title. It is a tournament that is so dear to my heart and set me up for an incredible 12 months. I could not have achieved so much success without an incredible team behind me, and inspirational rivals who have always pushed me to be the best version of myself.
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“The Laureus Awards are so special because they represent recognition from the 69 world-class athletes who make up the Laureus World Sports Academy. To earn the votes of my sporting heroes is what makes these awards so coveted in all of sport.”
The Rafael Nadal Foundation was recognised for helping more than 1,000 vulnerable young people in Spain and India, empowering them to realise their potential and believing in the transformative power of sport.
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Former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz was also on hand to present English footballer Jude Bellington with the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, which the Spaniard won last year. Earlier in the evening Alcaraz ran into Djokovic on the red carpet, where the rivals shared a laugh over each other’s tuxedos.
