- Novak Djokovic won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award
- This is the fifth time he has won the award
- Djokovic had a stellar 2023 season
Novak Djokovic won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for the fifth time.
It is his first big award in 2024, a season that has hit him hard enough with no major win in any of the tournaments he has played.
The Laureus Award restores some hope in him as he takes stock of what he wants his next season to be like.
Novak Djokovic Wins Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award
Jelena Djokovic accompanied the Serbian tennis player to Madrid where the award ceremony went down on Tuesday.
Tom Brady, a seven-time NFL Super Bowl champion, presented Djokovic with the award. It came as a result of his incredible tennis season in 2023 where he won three of the four major tournaments.
Djokovic won the US Open, the Australian Open and the French Open Grand Slams. Despite the growing danger that the younger generation of tennis players pose to his career, he managed to win the ATP Finals 2023 in Turin and secure another year-end world No. 1 ranking.
Novak Djokovic won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. Photo/ATP Tour
He said winning this award is a big honour especially because this is the fifth time he is taking the award home.
“I am incredibly honoured to have won my fifth Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. I think back to 2012 when I won it for the first time as a 24-year-old. I am very proud to be here 12 years later, reflecting on a year that brought me and my fans a lot of excitement and success,” Tennis365 reports.
Speaking of his 2023 season, Djokovic said that he remains grateful to the Australian Open because he got a chance to win another Grand Slam in Melbourne for the 10th time.
It was the first time he played in Melbourne after his dramatic deportation from Australia in 2021 over his unvaccinated status against COVID-19.
Djokovic thanked his team for helping him win the Laureus Award stating that he couldn’t have won without their support.
Why is the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award Important?
A Laureus Award is a mark of success at the pinnacle of the sporting world. Athletes value it since it’s chosen by the esteemed Laureus World Sports Academy, which is made up of legendary athletes.
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which empowers youth through sport, presents the Laureus Awards. Athletes who receive Laureus awards are linked to this humanitarian endeavour.
Since its founding in 2000, the Laureus Awards have honoured some of the greatest athletes in history. An athlete becomes a part of that heritage by winning.
For Djokovic, winning the award five times is a statement of honour which inspires him to become better and give tennis his all.
“The Laureus Awards are so special because they represent recognition from the 69 world-class athletes who make up the Laureus World Sports Academy. To earn the votes of my sporting heroes is what makes these awards so coveted in all of sport.”
Djokovic’s 2023 season was his best, only losing one Grand Slam, Wimbledon which Carlos Alcaraz made history.
Carlos Alcaraz holding a trophy after winning at the Indian Wells. Photo/The Independent
The Spaniard beat Djokovic in the finals of the major grass tournament in what remains to be a historic feat. Alcaraz had doubts about winning on a grass court but he surprised himself.
Why Did Novak Djokovic Withdraw from the Madrid Open?
With only a few weeks until his French Open title defence, Djokovic’s withdrawal from the Madrid Open has received criticism. In the last four years, this is Djokovic’s third withdrawal from the clay-court competition.
The 36-year-old Serbian hasn’t given a clear explanation for his absence, but he did suggest structuring his schedule to play at his best for the rest of the season.
Since he hasn’t claimed a championship in 2024, Djokovic has been candid about wanting to get back to his best.
“This past year has been a little bit different. The US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the Olympics are my top priorities. There, I want to give it my all,” he said at a press conference in Madrid.
Now, Djokovic will focus on the Italian Open in Rome, which he won twice and used as a launching pad to the French Open championship.
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