Simone Biles has been named sportswoman of the year at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Mondo Duplantis was crowned sportsman of the year following his success at the Paris Olympics and setting multiple pole vault world records.
The 2025 awards, held in Madrid, were also successful for Spanish football with Real Madrid — who won La Liga and the Champions League in 2023-24 — named as team of the year, with teenage Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal winning the breakthrough star of the year after his role in Spain’s Euro 2024 success.
The main winners on the night were Biles and Duplantis.
Biles won the award for the fourth time in her career, equalling the record held by tennis great Serena Williams, following her success at the Paris Olympics which saw her become the most decorated gymnast in history, individually winning two gold medals and one silver, alongside a team all-around gold for the U.S.
The Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year is Simone Biles 🏆#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/mnWv9Jiyn6
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025
Duplantis, another star of the Paris Olympics, won sportsman of the year after convincingly winning his second pole vault gold and setting multiple world records.
After winning his second World Indoor Championship gold medal in March, Duplantis broke his own world record for a ninth time in 2024 on the way to gold in Paris, before
breaking it again at the Silesia Diamond League meeting the following month.
Alongside Madrid’s team of the year gong and breakthrough award for 17-year-old Yamal, there was success for Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade with the world comeback of the year award.
Andrade, Biles’s competitor and friend, returned from three anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries to win four gymanists medals, including one goal, at the 2024 event.
Other winners on the night included 22-time Grand Slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal (sporting icon award) and 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater (lifetime achievement award).
(Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images for Laureus)