Madrid, Spain – Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and American gymnast Simone Biles claimed the top honors at the 25th annual Laureus World Sports Awards held on Monday in Madrid. The prestigious ceremony celebrated global sporting excellence, with Duplantis named Sportsman of the Year and Biles crowned Sportswoman of the Year.
Duplantis, a 25-year-old double Olympic champion and world record holder, secured the Sportsman of the Year award, beating out tennis legend Novak Djokovic, Formula One champion Max Verstappen, and French swimmer Léon Marchand. He becomes only the second track and field athlete to win the honor, following in the footsteps of Usain Bolt. Duplantis’ remarkable consistency and record-breaking performances in pole vaulting have solidified his place among the sport’s elite.
🏆 La 25ª edición de los Premios Laureus se celebró en Madrid, premiando a los mejores deportistas del año
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) April 21, 2025
Simone Biles y Mondo Duplantis fueron elegidos Deportista del Año, mientras que el Real Madrid ganó el premio al Mejor Equipo. Lamine Yamal fue reconocido como Revelación… pic.twitter.com/vXfuHK4dkg
Simone Biles, meanwhile, clinched the Sportswoman of the Year award for a record-equaling fourth time, tying with tennis icon Serena Williams. The 27-year-old gymnastics superstar, who won three gold medals and a silver at the Paris Olympics last summer, reflected on her journey: “I won this award for the first time in 2017, and Laureus has been a part of my story since then. There might be a little girl watching someone like me on television and deciding she can do it, too.”
The night also saw other remarkable achievements. Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won Comeback of the Year after her gold medal in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics, while 17-year-old Spanish football prodigy Lamine Yamal, a key player in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory and a star at FC Barcelona, took the Breakthrough of the Year award. Real Madrid, fresh off their 15th Champions League title and La Liga triumph, was named Team of the Year.
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who retired in November 2024 at age 38, received the Sporting Icon Award, and surfing legend Kelly Slater was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Other winners included Chinese para-swimmer Jiang Yuyan for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, British cyclist Tom Pidcock for Action Sportsperson of the Year, and Kick4Life for the Sport for Good Award.
Here are the winners for the 2025 edition of the Laureus Awards:
- Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award: Mondo Duplantis
- Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Simone Biles
- Laureus World Team of the Year Award: Real Madrid
- Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Lamine Yamal
- Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award: Rebeca Andrade
- Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Jiang Yuyan
- Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Tom Pidcock
- Laureus Sport for Good Award: Kick4Life
- Laureus Sporting Icon Award: Rafael Nadal
- Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Kelly Slater
The 2025 Laureus Awards once again highlighted the transformative power of sport, celebrating both established legends and rising stars on a global stage.
