Rafael Nadal will miss the Barcelona Open next week and will continue to improve his fitness following the hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January, the 22-time champion said on Friday. The Barcelona Open will start on April 15, Saturday.

Also Read: Tennis Facts: Longest winning streaks in Tennis history

Rafael Nadal missed the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments, as well as the Monte Carlo Masters, after suffering an injury that ended his title defense at Melbourne Park when he lost in the second round to Mackenzie McDonald.

"I am still not ready and so I continue my preparation process for the return to competition." A 14-time Roland Garros champion hopes to regain full fitness for the clay-court "grand slam" that begins in May.

"Barcelona is a special tournament for me, because it's my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling. Good luck to my friend David Ferrer and his whole team for this edition, which will surely be a success at all levels." Rafael Nadal added.

Rafael Nadal hasn't played since Australian Open. He dropped numerous points and dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since April 2005. Rafael Nadal has 66 wins and 4 losses at Barcelona, ​​where he made his debut 20 years ago. He only suffered four defeats in one of his favorite tournaments.

Also Read: Tennis stats: Greatest Tennis rivalries in the history of men's tennis

The Spaniard had three US Open victories before losing in the fourth round to Frances Tiafoe, which sidelined him for two months. In November, after a long break, Rafael Nadal failed to find the rhythm. He lost four consecutive matches for the first time since 2009! Rafa opted for a slack season, hoping for a fresh start in 2023. Instead, the Spaniard has only made four appearances this year. Rafa lost three and sealed his fate in the top 10 after Indian Wells. He dominated young Briton Jack Draper in the first round of the Australian Open and faced Mackenzie McDonald in the second.

Madrid became the capital city of sport tonight as the Laureus World Sports Awards celebrated its 25th anniversary by gathering the greatest athletes not only of the past 12 months, but of the 21st Century.

Simone Biles and Rebecca Andrade – friends, rivals and Olympic champions from the world of gymnastics – were both winners here; both sides of Spanish football’s great duopoly were represented on the winners’ podium, as Real Madrid and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal were honoured; and Olympic and Paralympic heroes including Mondo Duplantis, Tom Pidcock and Jijang Yuan added a Laureus to their laurels.

Standing alongside the world’s greatest athletes were leaders from the inspirational Lesotho-based football programme Kick4Life, recipients of the 2025 Laureus Sport for Good Award.

25 years after the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards were held in Monaco in 2000, this special anniversary edition of the greatest show in sports was also a celebration of the growth of Laureus as a unique sporting movement, encompassing the world-famous Awards and the year-round work of Laureus Sport for Good in over 40 countries.

The Awards evening launched a multi-media wave of posts, coverage and broadcast around the world, as athletes, media and bloggers reacted to this year’s winners – each presented with ‘The Laureus’ - the coveted statuette awarded to the winner in each category and the prize the greatest athletes in the world value above all other Awards – voted on by the 69 sporting legends of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

Meetings that only happen at the Laureus World Sports Awards 🤝#Laureus25 | #OnlyAtLaureus pic.twitter.com/I9I2KyulGw

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025

And this year, the body awarded two additional statuettes, honouring 22-time Grand Slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal and Kelly Slater, an 11-time world champion in surfing.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games were at the heart of the sporting year in 2024, and this year’s list of Laureus winners includes several athletes who added a Laureus to their collection of gold.

It was the fourth time lucky for the greatest pole-vaulter of all time, Mondo Duplantis. He was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award after being nominated in each of the last three years and is the second track-and-field athlete to win this Award, after four-time winner Usain Bolt.

Still just 25 years old, the Swede shows no signs of loosening his grip over the competition following another historic year. After winning his second World Indoor Championship gold medal in March, Duplantis broke his own world record for a remarkable ninth time in 2024 on the way to gold in Paris, before shattering it again at the Silesia Diamond League meeting the following month. Duplantis received his Award from last year’s winner, Novak Djokovic.

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Mondo Duplantis: “I am incredibly honoured to have won my first Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award in the sporting capital of Madrid and to have the great Usain Bolt pay tribute to me, who I follow as the second track and field athlete to win this Award.

“The Laureus Awards are the ultimate awards that we athletes want to win. I know because this is the fourth time I have been nominated – and that proves it’s harder to win a Laureus than an Olympic gold medal!

“I’ll never forget receiving this beautiful Laureus from the great Novak Djokovic – I’m following in the footsteps of giants like Novak, Usain, Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi. The list of past winners of this Award is like a history of sporting greatness over the past 25 years.

“The Laureus Awards represent something more than sporting achievement. The fact that they are voted on by the 69 world-class athletes of the Laureus World Sports Academy elevates them to another level. These are athletes who know the dedication and commitment that lies behind sporting successes; they have set the mark that athletes like me strive for. To be recognised by them is truly something special.

“Finally, I must also acknowledge Laureus’ broader mission of using sport as a vehicle for change in the world. The work of Laureus Sport for Good has transformed lives around the world, and – as the Awards celebrate its 25th anniversary – it is important to reflect on the enormous legacy that it has created. It’s a legacy I am proud to be a part of.” 

Simone Biles’ breathtaking displays in the French capital saw her named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year for the fourth time, equalling the record held by tennis great and compatriot Serena Williams – they both also have one Comeback of the Year Award.

Biles called the Paris Games her ‘redemption tour’ after taking a break from the sport, and the most decorated gymnast in history produced a stunning performance, picking up three golds and a silver. One year after winning that Comeback of the Year Award, her redemption is complete.

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Simone Biles: “I’m so happy to be here in Madrid and to receive my fourth Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award.

“I won this Award for the first time in 2017, and Laureus has been a part of my story since then. And I share their belief that sport has the power to change the world. That might be a little girl watching someone like me on television and deciding she can do it, too. Or it could be the incredible work Laureus Sport for Good has undertaken for the past 25 years, all over the world.

“I’d like to thank the legendary members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, who vote for the winners. It must be an almost impossible job, but their unique personal experiences of sport at the highest level gives them an understanding of what it takes to be the very best. Their generation has inspired us, athletes standing here before you. That is why the Laureus Awards truly are the ‘Athletes Awards’ and I am proud to have added to my ‘Laureus’ collection.”

Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade completed her inspirational return from career-threatening injuries at the Paris Games, and she is this year’s recipient of the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.

Andrade considered quitting the sport in the wake of a series of soul-crushing injuries, including three anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, and agonising rehabilitations. Her long road back to the top was complete when she won gold in the floor competition – a moment memorialised forever by the image of her long-time rival Biles bowing to her as she stood at the top of the podium.

Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award winner, Rebeca Andrade, said: “This beautiful Laureus Statuette represents a huge amount of hard work, of struggle and pain, and also great happiness and one of my most cherished memories – standing on top of the Olympic podium again.

“In the 25-year history of these Awards that have become the ultimate prize for athletes, these stories of resilience have inspired generations of young people. Previous winners of the Comeback of the Year have included some of the greatest athletes of all time, from my fellow Brazilian, Ronaldo, to Simone last year.

“And just as our stories reach every corner of the world, we stand here alongside Laureus Sport for Good as they bring together projects from across the globe which use sport to improve the lives of children and young people.

“Individual sports can be isolating, but Paris showed that camaraderie can exist between competitors, and I was so proud to compete alongside last year’s winner of this Award, Simone Biles. Simone and I are the only two gymnasts to win a Laureus Award, and I hope our stories can inspire anyone who has experienced injuries and setbacks to keep fighting through the many obstacles placed in front of them on the long road to recovery.”

Tom Pidcock is the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year after winning the Olympic mountain bike cross-country title in unforgettable fashion.  

His hopes of defending the title he won in Tokyo appeared all but over after suffering a puncture, but after changing wheels, the British rider staged a stirring fightback to reel in leader and home favourite Victor Koretsky before pulling off a daring late overtake in the trees to win gold against the odds.

Pidcock is the fourth British cyclist to win the Action Sportsperson of the Year Award, following Jamie Bestwick (2014), Rachel Atherton (2017) and Beth Shriver (2022).

🏆 Yuyan Jiang is the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/7AANKAFYac

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025

Paralympic swimming superstar Jiang Yuyan collected the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.

Yuyan was the most decorated athlete at the 2024 Paralympic Games, winning seven para swimming golds from seven events in the pool, matching the feat of Laureus Academy Member Mark Spitz.

The 19-year-old also set two individual world records and was honoured as the flagbearer for the Chinese team at the closing ceremony. She is the seventh Chinese winner of a Laureus after Yao Ming (Breakthrough 2003, Spirit of Sport 2015), Liu Xiang (Breakthrough, 2005), China Olympic Team (Team, 2009), Li Na (Exceptional Achievement, 2015), Xia Boyu (Sporting Moment, 2019) and Eileen Gu (Action, 2023).

🏆 Lamine Yamal is the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/IvBkTEgvXl

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025

Teen sensation Lamine Yamal was the recipient of the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after emerging as one of football’s global superstars.

 As part of the Spain team which won Euro 2024, he became the youngest player to score in the European Championships as well as the youngest to feature in the final and was named Best Young Player of the tournament. He is only the second footballer to win this Award, after Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid midfielder who won it last year.

Real Madrid are the Laureus World Team of the Year 🏆#Laureus25 | @realmadrid pic.twitter.com/rNMY2QiUbQ

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025

Bellingham did not go unrecognised tonight, either. Real Madrid are quite simply a winning machine and were honoured with the Laureus World Team of the Year Award after a season in which they won La Liga for a record 36th time, delivered a 15th UEFA Champions League/European Cup title, and defeated rivals Barcelona 4-1 in the Supercopa de España.

The club continued to sweep aside all before them at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, winning both the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup, an achievement which saw Carlo Ancelotti become Madrid’s most decorated manager.

For 25 years, the Laureus World Sports Awards have seen the greatest athletes in the world share the stage with Laureus Sport for Good programmes that fulfil the mission defined by the founding patron of Laureus at the first Awards: to use the power of sport to change the world. 

Kick4Life is one of over 300 Laureus Sport for Good projects all over the world making a difference in their communities, and they were presented with this year’s Laureus Sport for Good Award in Madrid. Kick4Life uses football to reach at-risk children in Lesotho, promoting health education, life-skills development, gender rights and employability. The inspirational organisation, which was also nominated for this Award in 2022, has reached more than 250,000 young people since it was founded in 2005.

Nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards are decided by the world’s media, and the winners are voted on by the 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy – the ultimate sporting jury. This year, the Academy also included two discretionary Awards.

Rafael Nadal received the Laureus Sporting Icon Award after a year in which he announced the end of one of the greatest careers in the history of professional tennis.  A celebratory video package of his career was specially voiced by Morgan Freeman, who included his own tribute to the Spaniard. This year’s Awards expands on Nadal’s ‘Laureus Slam’ – he is the only athlete to have won the Sportsman of the Year Award, the Comeback of the Year, the Breakthrough of the Year and the Laureus Sport for Good Award.

 Rafael Nadal said, “The Laureus World Sports Awards are important to me. Back in 2006, I won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award in Barcelona, in front of sporting heroes who had inspired millions of people around the world. Then last year, after twice being named Sportsman of the Year and also winning Comeback of the Year, my foundation was honoured to win the Laureus Sport for Good Award, here in Madrid.”

 “My retirement from competitive tennis made 2024 an emotional year for me, where there were some magical moments like the one in Paris, carrying the Olympic torch. Tennis and sports in general have given me so much; my drive has always been to compete and try my best every time I stepped on the court. Competitive tennis has stopped, and it is time to reflect and to appreciate all the support I receive from everyone – my friends and family, my fans, my fellow athletes.

 “A Sporting Icon? I think that is for other people to decide. But I hope that my career has inspired sports fans beyond tennis. I gave it everything I had. As athletes, we have a unique opportunity to use our influence and inspiration to make a positive impact on the world and as I move into my next chapter, I’m going to hold on to the ideals that I share with Laureus and work with them to achieve the most important thing an athlete can do – changing the world through sport.”

 And Kelly Slater, widely considered the greatest surfer of all time, received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award. Slater is a four-time winner of the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award and an 11-time World Surf League champion.

The full list of Winners in the Laureus World Sports Awards 2025

The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis and is held annually in Melbourne, Australia.

The tournament has been held since 1905 and has seen some of the greatest players in the sport compete for the title. 

Also Read: Most matches won in Grand Slams by any player | Top 10 List

In this article, we will brief you on the Australian Open winners list (Men).

Jannik Sinner claims Australian Open 2025 title

Jannik Sinner won the latest edition of the Australian Open after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. 

With this, the Italian becomes the first man to retain the title since Novak Djokovic’s “three-peat” from 2019 to 2021.

Aged 23 years 163 days, Sinner is also the youngest man to win multiple Australian Open titles since Jim Courier in 1992-93.

Djokovic won the most titles

Over the last decade, the tournament has been dominated by Novak Djokovic who has won the tournament ten times in this period (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023).

The only other players to win the tournament in this time are Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. 

Djokovic's record in the tournament is impressive, with his ten wins coming in a consecutive period of 11 years.

He has been able to defeat some of the greatest players in the world, such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, in the final of the tournament.

Djokovic also has two hat-tricks of Australian Open titles, once between 2011-2013 and then doing an encore from 2019-2021.

The Serbian’s first Australian Open crown came in 2008, when he came from a set down to beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

Djokovic has beaten Andy Murray in as many as four Australian Open finals while he has also beaten Rafael Nadal in two finals.

Also Read: Tennis Stats: Players to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles without losing

Roger Federer won the title twice in last decade 

On the other hand, Roger has won the Australian Open twice in the last decade, in 2017 and 2018. 

He has been a finalist in the tournament five times in this period, showing his consistency at the tournament. 

While Stan Wawrinka has won the Australian Open once, in 2014. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final, who was the defending champion at the time. 

This win was a major upset and Wawrinka proved that he is capable of winning the biggest tournaments in the world.

It is interesting to note that, in the last decade, the men's singles of the Australian Open has been dominated by Swiss players, with four out of the ten titles won by either Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka.

While Novak Djokovic, another Swiss player, has dominated the tournament with 10 titles. This shows the strength of Swiss players in the tennis world, particularly on hard courts.

Australian Open Winners list (Men)

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer wrote an emotional letter on the retirement of his close friend Rafael Nadal. Rafa, 22 Grand Slam winner, announced his retirement only last month at Davis Cup final in Málaga, Spain.

Also Read: Oldest Grand Slam Champion | Top 10 List

Federer, 43, who retired two years ago after winning 20 major titles, wrote, “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge,” 

Federer recalled their first meeting

Federer and Nadal had the greatest rivalry in the history of the sport. They first faced each other in Miami in 2004, where the Spaniard defeated then world No. 1 Federer 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 32.

Recalling their first meeting, Federer said, “OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype."

Federer praised Nadal's skills on clay and thanked him for making him a better player. He wrote, “We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud."

The 'Fedal' rivalry

Notably, the 'Fedal' rivalry has seen some of the most spectacular tennis matches, including the Wimbledon 2008 final, in which Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. In total, they faced each other 40 times, with Nadal holding the head-to-head record 24–16.

“I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies." Federer added.

Also Read: Most Olympic Gold medals in Tennis history (Men's)

Nadal was on the same side on Federer's last match

In Federer's last professional tennis match, Rafael Nadal was on the same side of the court as the two paired up to play a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London in 2022. After the match, a photo of Federer and Nadal sitting on the bench, holding hands and crying, went viral on social media.

“And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career,”

The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed announced

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career. 

The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles. 

Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event. 

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Day -1 (25th July) LIVE Updates - Dhiraj Bommadevara stars for India with 681 points as India qualifies for quarter-finals in team and mixed events

Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024

The life of a professional athlete is one of precision. Despite the capacity for careful calculation, they understand there will always be elements beyond their control. This may be why many athletes lean just as much on their pregame rituals as they do on their months of preparation. Because in the seconds before the big match, tournament, or race, who wouldn’t want any help they could get? Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024 that will help athletes get competition-ready.

Also Read: Most Olympic Games without any medal: Monaco, Myanmar and Bangladesh in top 30

Superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024

Nadal's on-court tennis rituals

Rafael Nadal is well-known for his many behaviours, both superstitious and routine. The on-court routine of Rafael Nadal has been among the most discussed topics in tennis. In almost every match, the Spaniard takes a sip of each of his two bottles and places them in a certain position. He meticulously arranges his water bottles so that the labels face the same direction. He also follows a strict sequence of actions, such as not touching the court lines and performing a specific routine with his shirt, hair, and face before serving a shot.

Naomi Osaka and her superstitions about bottles

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka wants her water bottles to be completely aligned. She believes most athletes have very strong superstitions. Like Nadal, her ritual revolves around the precise arrangement of the bottles, making sure they are facing the same direction and placed in a specific order.

Also Read: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

Daniil Medvedev's eating habits

Daniil Medvedev also has the “crazy” rituals. He had one rigid routine that he followed before every match. Although Medvedev is pretty flexible when it comes to switching up his routines, he admitted there was one thing he always had to keep the same and couldn’t do even one second too late, which is his eating habits. Medvedev always eats exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before his matches.

Gianmarco Tamberi's signature look

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi known for his beard, which is half shaved, has been his signature style since 2011. Tamberi won the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After the competition, when he was presented with his gold medal during the awards ceremony, he stepped on the podium with his beard fully shaven. Tamberi has been ranked as the No. 1 high jumper in Europe for 135 weeks. He will carry the Italian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Carissa Moore's husband wears her lucky socks

American surfer Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion, has a unique superstition that relies not on herself but on her boyfriend. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion firmly believes that her boyfriend's socks bring her good fortune on the waves.

Also Read: How many sports will there be at the Paris Olympics 2024? Which are the new ones?

Vashti Cunningham watches 'Kill Bill'

Vashti Cunningham, the American high jumper watches Kill Bill, the night before every competition. She also does Bible study along with her father before going out and getting ready for warm-up and jumping.