Global recognition: WTA stars winning at the World Sports Awards
Women's tennis players have been honored on multiple occasions at the annual Laureus World Sports Awards since the inaugural ceremony in 2000.
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In May 2002, Jennifer Capriati became the first tennis player to win the World Sports Award for Sportswomen. She had recently won the Australian Open.
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02
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Serena Williams took the honor in 2003, when she held all four tennis major titles concurrently.
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03
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The next time a tennis player would be crowned the world’s best sportswoman was in 2008, as Justine Henin took the prize after winning the French and US Opens.
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04
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Serena became just the second person to win the award twice when she won in 2010. The only other woman to do so previously was pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva.
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A unique treble was claimed by Serena in 2016 as she was once again named the greatest. In the previous year, she had won three of the four majors, missing out only in New York.
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Serena’s excellence was again recognized in 2018 as she off Garbiñe Muguruza among others to seal a fourth trophy.
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Capriati won the World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year in 2001. Previously that year, she had won her first major in Melbourne.
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After injuries derailed Martina Hingis’ career, she returned to the Tour in 2006 and reached WTA World No.6. Her achievements were recognized as she won the Comeback of the Year prize.
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In 2007, it was Serena’s turn to claim that honor. She had won only one major in three injury-hit years before she took the Australian Open title.
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Kim Clijsters returned from retirement for a first time in spectacular style in 2009 as she scored a run of Top 10 victories and culminated in the 2009 US Open title, which won her the Comeback of the Year gong in 2010.
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Following her victories at the 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon after several close things, Amélie Mauresmo was given the World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2007.
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Back-to-back Grand Slam titles from Naomi Osaka in New York and Melbourne saw her given the Breakthrough prize in 2019.
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