Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Laureus
Two months after completing the best season of her career on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, reigning world No. 1 Justine Henin has been named the Laureus World Sports Academy’s Sportswoman of the Year.
Henin beat out Yelena Isinbayeva, Carolina Kluft, Libby Lenton, Marta, and Lorena Ochoa.
In 2007 Henin won ten Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles including Roland Garros, the US Open, and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships. She became the first woman to ever surpass five million dollars in prize money during a single season and ended 2007 with a 25-match win streak.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognize sporting achievement during the period February 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007, are recognized as the premier honors on the international sporting calendar.
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good.
Laureus is composed of three core elements – the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation – which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.
But then again, this is not Sports Illustrated or ESPN…
Actually Nick, Roger Federer has won Laureus’ Sportsman of the Year for four straight years, including 2008.
But like you said, this is not Sports Illustrated or the ESPY’s.
Federer’s awards in 2007:
* L’Equipe Magazine’s Champion of Champions (for the year 2006).
* ATP Player of the Year (for the year 2006).
* Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award.
* ATPTennis.com Fan’s Favourite.
* Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year.
* Laureus World Sportsman of the Year (for the year 2006).
* ESPY Best Male Tennis Player.
* ESPY Best Male International Athlete.
* ITF World Champion.
* BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.
* Tennis magazine’s 2007 player of the year
* Swiss Sportsman of the Year.
For other years: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_won_by_Roger_Federer
Thanks Pov – I stand corrected about the ESPY’s.
Question – do you know which female women have scored big at the ESPY awards, or any other notable main stream media award ceremony?
Hi Aaress,
Do you mean female women rather than male women or female men. lol. Yeah – I’ve made my share of “ouch” typos.
As to the question? Not of the top o’ me ‘ead. I did a search and here’s a list of the ESPY’s Best Female Tennis Players:
2007: Maria Sharapova
2006: Venus Williams
2005: Maria Sharapova
2004: Serena Williams
2003: Serena Williams
2002: Venus Williams
2001: Venus Williams
2000: Lindsay Davenport
1999: Lindsay Davenport
1998: Martina Hingis
1997: Steffi Graf
1996: Steffi Graf
1995: Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario
1994: Steffi Graf
1993: Monica Seles
–
Very weird. Sharapova in 2005 and 2007? What would have been great is if she had politely declined the award. That would have garnered her a lot of respect and sent a clear message.
LOL – yes, the dreaded typo struck again! Female women . . . oops and ouch. I meant players, but apparently I typed women.
Thanks for the list! Actually, the ESPY’s take into account the previous calendar year, explaining Sharapova’s inclusion. She won Wimbledon in 2004 and the US Open in 2006.
I know one thing – it will be outrageous if Sharapova, or for that matter anyone else, wins it apart from Henin this year.