The 2026 Laureus Award nominations have been announced, with five tennis players making the list!

As an international sports award founded in 2000, the Laureus Awards garner considerable focus annually from nominations to the prize ceremony. Throughout its more than twenty-year history, Chinese competitors have seen few victories, with notable athletes such as Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, and Li Na among the rare achievers. The latest Chinese recipient was swimmer Jiang Yuyan, who won the "Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability" award the previous year.

Among various sports, tennis, as one of the most professionalized global sports, naturally receives considerable favor from these awards. So, which tennis players have been nominated this year? Let's take a look!

Nominees for Sportsman of the Year Award

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner

As the current leading figures in men's tennis, Alcaraz and Sinner nearly dominated the top-tier tournaments last year, their rivalry echoing the former tripartite dominance of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Among them, Alcaraz, the reigning world No. 1, had a slightly better overall performance and results compared to Sinner last year.

Joining Alcaraz and Sinner in contention for the Sportsman of the Year award are French footballer Ousmane Dembélé, Spanish motorcycle racer Marc Márquez, and Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar.

Nominees for Sportswoman of the Year Award

Aryna Sabalenka

Current women's singles world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the sole tennis player nominated for Sportswoman of the Year. She is joined by footballer Aitana Bonmatí, swimmer Katie Ledecky, and three track and field athletes: Jefferson Wooden, Faith Kipyegon, and Sha'Carri Richardson.

Nominees for Breakthrough of the Year Award

João Fonseca

Born in 2006, João Fonseca earned a nomination for the Breakthrough of the Year award thanks to his outstanding performances throughout last year. He not only defeated a top-10 player for the first time and captured his first tour-level title but also advanced to the later rounds at Grand Slam events, breaking into the top 30 of the world rankings for the first time.

Fonseca will compete for the Breakthrough of the Year award against athletes such as footballer Warren Zaïre-Emery, basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and others.

Nominees for Comeback of the Year Award

Amanda Anisimova

Amanda Anisimova's 2025 season, while not perfect, was remarkably impressive. She reached the women's singles finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open, securing two Grand Slam runner-up finishes. Additionally, she won the WTA 1000 title in Beijing last year, soaring from outside the top 100 at the start of the year to the top 5—a truly meteoric rise.

Anisimova will vie for the Comeback of the Year award against cyclist Egan Bernal, golfer Rory McIlroy, track and field athlete Yulimar Rojas, footballer Leah Williamson, and cyclist Adam Yates.

Apart from the aforementioned players, swimmer Yu Zidi is the only Chinese athlete nominated in this year's Laureus Awards, entering the competition for the Breakthrough of the Year award. The Laureus Awards are expected to be announced in April—we await the final results!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)