Brazilian athletes Rayssa Leal (skate), Yago Dora (surf), João Fonseca (tennis) and Gabriel Araújo, also known as Gabrielzinho (Paralympic swimming), are among the nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards – considered the Oscar of sports – in various categories.
The list, announced on Tuesday (March 3), highlights the top athletes of the 2025 season. The winners will be chosen by the Laureus Academy jury, composed of sports stars, including world record holders and Olympic champions. The trophies will be presented on April 20 in a ceremony in Madrid, Spain.
Last year, gymnast Rebeca Andrade won the Laureus Award in the “Comeback of the Year” category for her achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – gold on floor, silver in all-around and vault, and bronze in the team competition – after overcoming a series of injuries.
Skateboarder Rayssa Leal, 18 years old, is competing for the Laureus Award for the fourth time, nominated in the “Action Sport Athlete of the Year” category. Last year, the Olympic medalist also won four Street League Skateboarding (SLS) titles.
Yago Dora is also competing in the “Action Sport Athlete of the Year” category. The surfer received his first Laureus nomination after winning an unprecedented title on the world surf tour and finishing 2025 at the top of the world ranking.
Another name entering the list for the first time is 19-year-old tennis player João Fonseca, who is competing in the “Breakthrough of the Year” category. After starting 2025 at No. 145 in the world ranking, the Brazilian climbed 121 positions to finish the year among the top 24 tennis players in the world. This meteoric rise came after winning titles at the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires and the ATP 500 in Basel, in addition to impressive victories over experienced players like Andrey Rublev (Russia), Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) and Denis Shapovalov (Canada).
Also making his debut on the Laureus nominees list, Paralympic multi-champion Gabriel Araújo (three golds in Paris 2024 and two in Tokyo 2020) is competing in the “Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year” category. In the last season, he won three Paralympic swimming world championships in the S2 class (for athletes with physical-motor disabilities), in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events.
Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias is the Brazilian with the most Laureus wins. He claimed three “Paralympic Athlete of the Year” trophies, in 2009, 2013 and 2016.
Source: Agência Brasil