In 2023, Simone Biles won her fourth Laureus World Sports award by taking home the Comeback of the Year title. This marked her first win in this category. Biles impressed everyone with her performance at the world gymnastics championships in October, where she won four gold medals and one silver. Despite being nominated for Comeback of the Year in 2022 after returning from the twisties to win Olympic balance beam bronze, Biles was surpassed by British skateboarder Sky Brown that year. With this win, Biles now holds three Sportswoman of the Year awards, making her the second-most decorated athlete in history behind Serena Williams.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic secured his fifth Sportsman of the Year award by tying the record held by tennis star Roger Federer. Djokovic was up against some stiff competition, including pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, soccer players Erling Haaland of Norway and Lionel Messi of Argentina, American sprinter Noah Lyles, and Formula One driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands. In the women’s category, Spain’s Aitana Bonmati was named Sportswoman of the Year, beating out Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, tennis player Iga Swiatek, and track stars Sha’Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson
