LAUREUS SPORTS AWARDS • ROGER FEDERER IS THE GREATEST LAUREUS ATHLETE OF ALL TIME WITH FIFTH & SIXTH AWARDS

Written by: Staff on 27th February 2018

LAUREUS SPORTS AWARDS • ROGER FEDERER IS THE GREATEST LAUREUS ATHLETE OF ALL TIME WITH FIFTH & SIXTH AWARDS

epa06569202 Swiss tennis player Roger Federer poses with the 'Sportsman Award' and 'Comeback Awards' at the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco, 27 February 2018. The annual Laureus Awards are held to honor people whom make a notable impact and remarkable accomplishments in the world of sport throughout the year. EPA-EFE/SEBASTIEN NOGIER |

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer poses with the ‘Sportsman Award’ and ‘Comeback Awards’ at the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco, 27 February 2018. The annual Laureus Awards are held to honor people whom make a notable impact and remarkable accomplishments in the world of sport throughout the year. EPA-EFE/SEBASTIEN NOGIER

THE LAUREUS GOAT

ROGER FEDERER BECOMES GREATEST OF ALL TIME BY WINNING FIFTH AND SIXTH LAUREUS AWARDS

• World ATP No. 1 tennis star receives Sportsman and Comeback Awards to become most decorated winner in the history of Laureus

• Serena Williams wins Sportswoman crown – her fifth Laureus Award

He is the icon of men’s tennis, and tonight, in the company of HSH Prince Albert and HSH Princess Charlene, Roger Federer won his fifth and six Laureus statuettes, becoming the most decorated Laureus Winner in history at the 2018 Awards Ceremony in Monaco.

Speaking after receiving his Awards, Federer said: “This is a very special moment for me. Everyone knows how highly I value my Laureus Awards, so to win another would have been wonderful, but to win two is a truly unique honour. And so unexpected. I am delighted and I would like to thank the Laureus Academy for all their support.

“It was an unforgettable year for me, to come back after a very difficult 2016, and these Awards just make it even more memorable. When I won my first Laureus Award back in 2005, if you had said I would have ended up winning six I would not have believed you. It’s been an amazing ride.”

Voted for by the legends of sport in the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Awards recognised sporting achievement in the 2017 calendar year. The Awards were hosted by Hollywood superstar Benedict Cumberbatch, while world-renowned singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé performed for guests.

In the Sportsman of the Year category, Federer fought off tough competition from the likes of Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Award. The Swiss tennis star who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, also received the Comeback of the Year Award, in recognition of his achievements in overcoming a serious knee injury.

Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year Award following her Australian Open success, her 23rd Grand Slam title. Serena, who also gave birth to her first child in 2017, is now the most decorated female Laureus Award winner with five Laureus statuettes.

Golfer Sergio Garcia won his second Laureus Award, 18 years after winning the Laureus Newcomer accolade at the 2000 Awards. The Spaniard received the Breakthrough of the Year Award for winning the 2017 Masters, his first ever Major Championship win on his 74th attempt.

French Vendée Globe winning sailor Armel Le Cléac’h received the Action Sportsperson of the Year Award, while Swiss triple world champion wheelchair racer Marcel Hug won the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, for his 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m titles in the T54 class at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London.

Attended by sports stars, celebrities and business leaders from around the world, the Awards also shone a light on the transformational work of Laureus Sport for Good, the Laureus charity which uses the power of sport to help young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage.