Just months removed from becoming the youngest men’s player ever to complete the Career Grand Slam, Carlos Alcaraz has added another prestigious honor to his name after being named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for 2026.
The Spaniard beat out Jannik Sinner, Mondo Duplantis, and Tadej Pogacar, among others, to receive the honor. It is already his second award from the Laureus World Sports Awards after being named Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in 2023.
A Historic Season Recognized
Alcaraz, currently ranked World No. 2, received the award on the basis of a historic 2025 season that saw him win eight titles and finish the year as the best player in the world, compiling an outstanding 71–9 win-loss record.
His season included two Major titles, one at the French Open and another at the US Open, along with three Masters 1000 events. He also added three more titles in the ATP 500 category, becoming one of the few players to win titles on hard courts, clay, grass, and indoors in the same season.
Additionally, he reached the finals of the Wimbledon Championships and the ATP Finals, where he was beaten by fellow nominee Jannik Sinner. It was comfortably the best season of his young career so far, and Alcaraz has only built on that momentum in 2026, already securing the Australian Open title and a title in Doha.
Joining Tennis Greatness
Alcaraz now joins the “Big Three” of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, as just the fourth men’s tennis player to receive this honor, further cementing his all-time great trajectory.
While the accolades continue to pile up for the Spaniard, attention now turns to his return to the court as Alcaraz is currently sidelined with a wrist injury that forced him to retire mid-tournament in Barcelona and withdraw from the Madrid Masters.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
