"VAN" (Sports Desk - 30.12.2025) :: Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis has been named the AIPS Best Male Athlete for the second year running after amassing an unassailable lead in the traditional end-of-year poll, organised by AIPS. The AIPS Best Female Athlete of the Year 2025 award went to Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmatí for the first time, as voted by a record 836 journalists from 121 countries.
Following another exceptional season in which he broke the world record four times, Duplantis was the runaway winner in the Best Male Athlete of the Year category with 1182 points. Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz received 784 points to finish in second place, while French footballer Ousmane Dembele finished third with 713 points.
Bonmati garnered 824 points to dominate the Best Female Athlete of the Year 2025 award for the first time, after finishing third and second in the 2023 and 2024 editions, respectively. She was followed by Kenyan distance runner Beatrice Chebet with 453 points and Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka with 446 points.
AIPS BEST MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR In 2025, Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, born on November 10, 1999 in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, became the first male pole vaulter in modern history to go undefeated both indoors and outdoors for two successive years.
He set four world records this year; 6.27m in Clermont-Ferrand, 6.28m in Stockholm, 6.29m in Budapest and a gravity-defying 6.30m to clinch his third consecutive world title in Tokyo. Duplantis has now broken the men's pole vault world record 14 times since February 2020.
Coached by his parents, Greg and Helena, Duplantis’ mesmerising highlights reel of 2025, during which he was unbeaten in 16 competitions, also includes his third successive world indoor pole vault title in Nanjing and fifth successive Diamond League title in Zurich.
At the World Athletics Awards on 30 November, he was named the Men's World Athlete of the Year and Men's Field Athlete of the Year.
SECOND Carlos Alcaraz, 22, amassed a Tour-leading eight titles in 2025, including two majors at Roland Garros and the US Open, and secured a season-high 71 match wins to finish the season as ATP Year-End No. 1.
THIRD Frenchman Ousmane Dembele enjoyed a fairytale 2024/25 campaign, winning six titles with Paris Saint-Germain; the Trophee des Champions, the Ligue 1 championship, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League title, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. His individual honours include finishing as the top goalscorer and being recognised as the best player in the French top flight, being named the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, winning the Ballon d'Or and being named The Best FIFA Men’s Player.
Below are the Top 10
1. Duplantis Armand (Sweden) – Athletics - 1182
2. Alcaraz Carlos (Spain) – Tennis - 784
3. Dembele Ousmane (France) - Football - 713
4. Hakimi Achraf (Morocco) - Football - 531
5. Pogačar Tadej (Slovenia) - Cycling - 410
6. Yamal Lamine (Spain) – Football - 332
7. Mbappe Kylian (France) - Football - 274
8. Sinner Jannik (Italy) – Tennis - 219
9. Dončić Luka (Slovenia) - Basketball - 192
10. Salah Mohamed (Egypt) - Football - 191
AIPS BEST FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Midfield maestro Aitana Bonmatí, born on January 18, 1998 in Catalonia, upheld her supremacy in the women’s game for a third year running.
The 27-year-old claimed MVP awards in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO, respectively, despite Barcelona and Spain finishing as runners-up in both competitions. She also starred as Barça secured a domestic treble.
Since rising to stardom at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, Bonmatí has remained at the pinnacle of her game and in 2025 claimed the Ballon d'Or and The Best FIFA Women’s Player awards for a third successive year. The daughter of teachers Rosa Bonmatí Guidonet and Vicent Conca i Ferràs is also an influential leader on and off the pitch.
However, Bonmatí will miss several months of 2026 after suffering a fracture to her left fibula in training with the Spanish national team on 30 November, before the UEFA Women’s Nations League final against Germany.
SECOND Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet completed a historic distance double at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, winning both the 10,000m and 5,000m. In July, she shattered the world record in the women’s 5000m at the Eugene Diamond League, becoming the first woman ever to go under the 14-minute mark over five kilometres.
THIRD Aryna Sabalenka earned the WTA Player of the Year accolade for a second straight season after reaching the most finals (9) in the season, winning the most titles (4), picking up the most wins (63) and setting a new single-season prize money record. She spent the entire year ranked as the WTA World No.1, ending the season in the top spot for the second consecutive year.
Below are the Top 10
1. Bonmatí Aitana (Spain) – Football - 824
2. Chebet Beatrice (Kenya) - Athletics - 453
3. Sabalenka Aryna (Belarus) – Tennis - 446
4. McLaughlin-Levrone Sydney (USA) - Athletics - 393
5. Bol Femke (Netherlands) - Athletics - 356
6. Caldentey Mariona (Spain) - Football - 298
7. Gauff Coco (USA) - Tennis - 281
8. Kipyegon Faith (Kenya) - Athletics - 257
9. Brignone Federica (Italy) - Alpine Skiing - 256
10. Allman Valarie (USA) - Athletics - 251
Cr-AIPS
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