Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year

The Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year is an annual award honouring the achievements of individual women from the world of sports. It was first awarded in 2000 as one of the seven constituent awards presented during the Laureus World Sports Awards. The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people. The first ceremony was held on 25 May 2000 in Monte Carlo, at which Nelson Mandela gave the keynote speech. , a shortlist of six nominees for the award comes from a panel composed of the "world's leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters". The Laureus World Sports Academy then selects the winner who is presented with a Laureus statuette, created by Cartier, at an annual awards ceremony held in various locations around the world. The awards are considered highly prestigious and are frequently referred to as the sporting equivalent of "Oscars".

The inaugural winner of the award was American sprinter Marion Jones, who, at the time of the presentation, was considered to be "the world's dominant sprinter". She later admitted to having taken performance-enhancing drugs and, along with being stripped of her Olympic medals by the International Olympic Committee in 2007, her Laureus Award and nominations (2001 and 2003) were rescinded. American sportswomen have won more awards and nominations than any other nationality, with eleven wins and thirty-eight nominations. American tennis player Serena Williams and American artistic gymnast Simone Biles hold the record for the most awards with four. The 2026 award was won by the Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.

List of winners and nominees + Key * Indicates individual whose award or nomination was later rescinded

+ Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year winners and nominees Year Image Winner Nationality Sport Nominees Ref(s) 2000 * Athletics Lindsay Davenport () – tennis Gabriela Szabo () – athletics 2001 Athletics Inge de Bruijn () – swimming Marion Jones* () – athletics Karrie Webb () – golf Venus Williams () – tennis 2002 Tennis Inge de Bruijn () – swimming Stacy Dragila () – athletics Annika Sörenstam () – golf Venus Williams () – tennis 2003 Tennis Marion Jones* () – athletics Janica Kostelić () – alpine skiing Paula Radcliffe () – athletics Annika Sörenstam () – golf 2004 Golf Inge de Bruijn () – swimming Justine Henin-Hardenne () – tennis Maria de Lurdes Mutola () – athletics Paula Radcliffe () – athletics Serena Williams () – tennis 2005 Athletics Yelena Isinbayeva () – athletics Carolina Klüft () – athletics Maria Sharapova () – tennis Annika Sörenstam () – golf Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel () – cycling 2006 Alpine skiing Kim Clijsters () – tennis Tirunesh Dibaba () – athletics Yelena Isinbayeva () – athletics Carolina Klüft () – athleticsPaula Radcliffe () – athletics Annika Sörenstam () – golf 2007 Athletics Justine Henin () – tennis Carolina Klüft () – athletics Laure Manaudou () – swimming Amélie Mauresmo () – tennis Maria Sharapova () – tennis 2008 Tennis Yelena Isinbayeva () – athletics Carolina Klüft () – athletics Libby Lenton () – swimming Marta () – football Lorena Ochoa () – golf 2009 Athletics Tirunesh Dibaba () – athletics Lorena Ochoa () – golf Stephanie Rice ()– swimming Lindsey Vonn () – alpine skiing Venus Williams () – tennis 2010 Tennis Shelly-Ann Fraser () – athletics Federica Pellegrini () – swimming Sanya Richards () – athletics Britta Steffen () – swimming Lindsey Vonn () – alpine skiing 2011 Alpine skiing Kim Clijsters () – tennis Jessica Ennis () – athletics Blanka Vlašić () – athletics Serena Williams () – tennis Caroline Wozniacki () – tennis 2012 Athletics Carmelita Jeter () – athletics Maria Höfl-Riesch () – alpine skiing Homare Sawa () – football Petra Kvitová () – tennis Yani Tseng () – golf 2013 Athletics Allyson Felix () – athletics Lindsey Vonn () – alpine skiing Missy Franklin () – swimming Serena Williams () – tennis Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce () – athletics 2014 Swimming Serena Williams () – tennis Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce () – athleticsYelena Isinbayeva () – athletics Tina Maze () – alpine skiing Nadine Angerer () – football 2015 Athletics Valerie Adams () – athletics Li Na () – tennis Tina Maze () – alpine skiing Serena Williams () – tennis Marit Bjørgen () – Nordic skiing 2016 Tennis Genzebe Dibaba () – athletics Anna Fenninger () – alpine skiing Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce () – athletics Katie Ledecky () – swimming Carli Lloyd () – football 2017 Gymnastics Allyson Felix () – athletics Laura Kenny () – cycling Angelique Kerber () – tennis Katie Ledecky () – swimming Elaine Thompson () – athletics 2018 Tennis Allyson Felix () – athletics Katie Ledecky () – swimming Garbiñe Muguruza () – tennis Caster Semenya () – athletics Mikaela Shiffrin () – alpine skiing 2019 Gymnastics Simona Halep () – tennisAngelique Kerber () – tennis Ester Ledecká () – snowboarding Daniela Ryf () – triathlonMikaela Shiffrin () – skiing 2020 Gymnastics Allyson Felix () – athletics Megan Rapinoe () – football Mikaela Shiffrin () – alpine skiing Naomi Osaka () – tennis Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce () – athletics 2021 Tennis Anna van der Breggen () – cycling Federica Brignone () – alpine skiing Brigid Kosgei () – athletics Wendie Renard () – football Breanna Stewart () – basketball 2022 Athletics Ashleigh Barty () – tennis Allyson Felix () – athletics Katie Ledecky () – swimming Emma McKeon () – swimming Alexia Putellas () – football 2023 Athletics Katie Ledecky () – swimming Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone () – athletics Alexia Putellas () – football Mikaela Shiffrin () – alpine skiing Iga Swiatek () – tennis 2024 Football Shericka Jackson () – athletics Faith Kipyegon () – athletics Sha'Carri Richardson () – athletics Mikaela Shiffrin () – skiing Iga Swiatek () – tennis 2025 GymnasticsAitana Bonmatí () – football Sifan Hassan () – athletics Faith Kipyegon () – athletics Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone () – athletics Aryna Sabalenka () – tennis 2026 TennisAitana Bonmatí () – Football Melissa Jefferson-Wooden () – Athletics Faith Kipyegon () – athletics Katie Ledecky () – swimming Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone () – Athletics

Statistics Statistics are correct as of 2026 nominations.

+ Multiple winners and nominees Name Wins Nominations 4 5 4 4 2 4 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2

+ Winners by nationality Country Winners Nominations 11 41 2 7 2 6 2 5 1 8 1 5 1 5 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 0 6 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

+ Winners by sport Sport Winners Nominations Athletics 9 52 Tennis 8 29 Gymnastics 4 4 Alpine skiing 2 15 Swimming 1 17 Football 1 10 Golf 1 8 Cycling 0 3 Basketball 0 1 Nordic skiing 0 1 Snowboarding 0 1 Triathlon 0 1

See also

List of sports awards honoring women Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year Athlete of the Year

References