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The 25th edition of the Laureus Awards took place at the Cybele Palace in Madrid, Spain on Monday, where joint-record 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and 2023 Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati received the top honours in the men's and women's category respectively. Apart from them, the Spanish women's national football team won the World Team of the Year award.
The Serbian tennis star, Novak Djokovic, won his fifth Laureus Award after having a remarkable 2023, where he won the U.S. Open last September and equalised Margaret Court’s record haul of 24 Grand Slam titles. The 36-year-old Serb was presented with the World Sportsman of the Year award by the seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady.
Aitana Bonmati, who won FIFA’s The Best, Ballon d’Or, and World Cup MVP among other honours last year, was named the Sportswoman of the Year. Apart from that, the Spanish women's team became the first women's team to win the World Team of the Year award.
Apart from them, England and Real Madrid star midfielder Jude Bellingham received the Breakthrough of the Year award while the Comeback of the Year was awarded to American gymnast Simone Biles, who won four medals last year in her first international event since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Check the list of Laureus Awards 2023 winners:
- Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic (Serbia, tennis)
- Sportswoman of the Year: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, football)
- Team of the Year: Spanish women's soccer team
- Breakthrough of the Year: Jude Bellingham (England, football)
- Comeback of the Year: Simone Biles (USA, gymnastics)
- Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Diede de Groot (Netherlands, tennis)
- Action Sportsperson of the Year: Arisa Trew (Australia, skateboarding)
- Sports for Good: Rafa Nadal Foundation