In the early morning of April 23, Beijing time, the Laureus Award ceremony was held in Madrid, Spain. At the award ceremony, the final winners of each award were also announced. Among them, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic beat last year's Lionel Messi to win the best male athlete, and Spanish women's soccer star Bonmati won the best female athlete. Real Madrid talent Jude Bellingham defeated Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang to win the best breakthrough award. The Spanish women's football team won the Team of the Year award.
Male Athlete of the Year: Novak Djokovic (Serbia/Tennis)
This is the fifth time that Djokovic has won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award, the most with Federer, and the second time in five years that he has won the award. In 2023, Djokovic won the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open singles championships, and has won 24 Grand Slam titles in his career, becoming the tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles in the Open era.
Other finalists: Duplantis, Haaland, Lyles, Messi, Verstappen
Female Athlete of the Year: Bonmati (Spain/Football)
The outstanding midfielder helped Spain win the Women's World Cup for the first time and excelled at FC Barcelona, helping them to league titles and Champions League.
Other finalists: Jackson, Kipyegan, Richardson, Shiffrin, Swiatek
Best Team Award: Spanish Women's Football Team
After losing the group stage of the Women's World Cup, the Spanish women's football team finally made it all the way to the final, and defeated the strong opponent England women's football team, and won the title for the first time in the team's history.
Other finalists: Ryder Cup European Team, German Men's National Team, Manchester City Club, Red Bull F1 Team, South Africa Men's Rugby National Team
Best Breakthrough: Jude Bellingham (UK/Football)
Bellinge joined Real Madrid last summer and has scored 21 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 appearances in all competitions this season. In last weekend's Spanish national derby, Bellingham scored the winner to help Real Madrid win 3-2 against Barcelona and lead La Liga with 11 points.
Other finalists: Linda Caicedo, Gauff, Qin Haiyang (China/Swimming), Cole, Paralulo
Best Comeback: Biles (USA/Gymnastics)
The iconic gymnast returned to competition last year with a record-breaking return to action, winning four gold medals at the World Championships, including a record-breaking sixth all-around title.
Other finalists: Haller, Thompson, Kolisi, Murray, Vondrousova
Best Para Athlete Award: De Groot (Netherlands/Tennis)
Last year, DeGroot made tennis history by winning a third Grand Slam in a row.
Best Extreme Athlete Award: Alyssa Tru (Australia/Skateboarding)
At just 14 years old, Alyssa Tru made skateboarding history in 2023, becoming the first female skateboarder to complete a 720-degree stunt in a competition.
Best Public Welfare Award: Nadal Foundation
This inspiring project truly believes in the transformative power of sport. It has helped more than 1,000 children in need in Spain and India to reach their potential.