Tennis dominated the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid as Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz took the night’s highest honors.

Sabalenka was named World Sportswoman of the Year at the ceremony co-hosted by Novak Djokovic and Eileen Gu. The WTA’s consensus top player said she had “goosebumps” knowing her name would appear alongside wider sporting legends. “When I see the list of winners from previous years, it makes me feel a little bit crazy to know that my name is going to be next to those legends, those athletes that I watched, I looked up to, but also, a little bit emotional … and speechless right now. This is big,” she said. “In all the sports, there are so many great strong, powering, inspiring women who do incredible, inspiring things, and to receive this award means a lot.”

Alcaraz received the World Sportsman of the Year award for the first time. His prize was presented by Luis Figo and Iker Casillas; Jannik Sinner was among those he beat for the honor. Alcaraz recalled his 2023 Breakthrough Award in Paris and an encounter with Leo Messi as part of his remarks: “Three years ago, I received the Laureus Breakthrough Award in Paris and met one of my heroes, Leo Messi, who won the Laureus Sportsman Award,” he said. “At the time, I dreamt that maybe one day I would join the great Leo Messi on the Sportsman list, and today, I have. Messi, Federer, Djokovic, Usain Bolt, and of course the great Rafa Nadal. I am following in the footsteps of giants. That makes this moment so special.

“I truly understand why these Awards mean so much to the best athletes in the world. That includes all my fellow Laureus nominees—the greatest sportsmen in the world—but I especially would like to thank Jannik Sinner. If we hadn’t been across the net from each other, pushing the other one so hard, I don’t think either of us would have found the levels we did.”

Alcaraz also addressed the wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from Madrid for a second straight year, a development noted amid comments from tournament director Feliciano Lopez about what the injury could mean for Roland Garros hopes. “This happens for professional sportsmen,” Alcaraz said. “At the end of the day, you just have to stand up and try to be stronger than ever, and hopefully I’ll be able to be on the field very soon.” “I’d rather come back a little later and with a full recovery. I need to take care of myself because I want to have a long career,” he added.