At the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco, Serena Williams has been named World Sportswoman of the Year for the fourth time. However, Roger Federer has received the coveted World Sportsman of the Year award for the fifth time in the men’s event and has become the record holder in this category.
36-year-old Williams, who missed almost the entire season in 2017 due to her pregnancy, won the election against Allyson Felix (light athletics), Katie Ledecky (swimming), Mikaela Shiffrin (ski alpine/all USA), Caster Semenya (South Africa/Light Athletics) and Garbine Muguruza (Spain/Tennis).
Williams won the Australian Open last January by winning his 23rd place at the Australian Open. Major titles and surpassed the German icon Steffi Graf in her eighth week of pregnancy. Her daughter Alexis Olympia Jr. came on the 1. September 2017. Williams had already received the Laureus award in 2003,2010 and 2016.
Last year, gymnastics Olympic champion Simone Biles (USA) won. Angelique Kerber (Kiel) was also nominated at that time, but Germany’s best female tennis player went empty-handed. This time no Germans were among the candidates.
The 36-year-old Federer, who has been living in Germany since 19. Having once again been named the world’s number one on February 1, the “Sport Oscar” was won from 2005 to 2008,”It is an absolute privilege to receive this award. That means a lot to me. It is a great honour,”said the Swiss.
Federer, who had also already been honoured in the comeback category during the gala, personally received the trophy in the festive “Salle des Etoiles” (Sternsaal) in the presence of Prince Albert of Monaco. Boris Becker presented the award for the returnee of the year.
The Grand Slam record winner prevailed over his rival Rafael Nadal (Spain), world footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, athlete Mo Farah and four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome (all from Great Britain) in the World Cup.
German athletes were not nominated. In 2002 and 2004, Formula 1 record world champion Michael Schumacher received the trophy, his later World Championship successor Sebastian Vettel won in 2014.
The Laureus World Sport Awards have been presented since 2000. The non-profit Laureus Foundation, which supports disadvantaged children worldwide with various sports projects, awards athletes in eight categories for their achievements in the past calendar year. At the suggestion of around 2000 journalists, the winners will be selected by a jury of the foundation.
As team of the year, the jury honoured Formula 1 constructor world champion Mercedes. The Swiss wheelchair racer Marcel Hug was awarded in the category of disabled athletes of the year.