World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on Monday evening in Madrid. The Spaniard enjoyed a fruitful run in 2025, winning eight ATP tour-level titles, including Majors at Roland Garros and US Open.

Alcaraz also ended as the World No.1 in the PIF ATP rankings in 2025. His numero uno position was snatched by Jannik Sinner recently when the Italian won the back to back titles at Indians Wells and Miami Open. 

The other nominees for World Sportsman of the Year were the 24-year-old Italian Sinner, football star Ousmane Dembele, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, motorcyclist Marc Marquez and cyclist Tadej Pogacar. 

Alcaraz joins the elite group of ‘Big Three’ of Roger Federer (2005-08, 2018), Rafael Nadal (2011, 2021) and Novak Djokovic (2012, 2015-16, 2019, 2024) in winning the award.

The Spaniard expressed his delight after joining the likes of Lionel Messi, who had received the same award three years ago.

“Three years ago, I received the Laureus Breakthrough Award in Paris and met one of my heroes, Leo Messi, who won the Laureus Sportsman Award. At the time, I dreamt that maybe one day I would join the great Leo Messi on the Sportsman list, and today, I have. Messi, Federer, Djokovic, Usain Bolt, and of course the great Rafa Nadal. I am following in the footsteps of giants. That makes this moment so special.

“I truly understand why these Awards mean so much to the best athletes in the world. That includes all my fellow Laureus nominees — the greatest sportsmen in the world — but I especially would like to thank Jannik Sinner. If we hadn’t been across the net from each other, pushing the other one so hard, I don’t think either of us would have found the levels we did.

Alcaraz recently had to pull out of the Madrid Open due to an injury.