"VAN" (Sports Desk - 18.01.2026) :: Members of the Finnish Sports Journalists’ Association have voted tennis player Harri Heliövaara as Finland’s Athlete of the Year 2025. Last year, Heliövaara celebrated victory in the men’s doubles at the Australian Open and capped the season by winning the ATP Finals. He was honoured at the annual Sports Gala, which was followed by more than million Finns via live television broadcast.
“This is a great honour. A few years ago, I couldn’t even have dreamed of something like this,” an emotional Heliövaara said upon hearing of his selection in Australia, where he is currently preparing for the season’s first Grand Slam tournament.
“Over the past two years I’ve won Wimbledon and the Australian Open, but I’m still missing Grand Slam titles from Roland Garros and the US Open in my trophy cabinet. There are still plenty of goals ahead.”
Heliövaara is the first tennis player ever to be named Athlete of the Year in Finland. In 2023, Finland’s Davis Cup team was selected as Team of the Year, with Heliövaara playing a key role as the team advanced to the Davis Cup semifinals.
Heliövaara, who will turn 37 this summer, has risen among the world’s top doubles players only in recent years. He finished both the 2024 and 2025 seasons ranked third in the world doubles rankings.
The Athlete of the Year award has been presented in Finland since 1947. In 1974, Finnish President Urho Kekkonen, together with his friend Kalle Kaihari, donated the Golden Disc as a perpetual trophy for the country’s best athlete.
The most Athlete of the Year titles have been won by cross-country skiers Veikko Hakulinen and Iivo Niskanen, each selected four times.
“Athletes value the Golden Disc above all else. It is undoubtedly the most prestigious award in Finnish sports,” emphasized Jari Porttila, President of the Finnish Sports Journalists’ Association.
The award was accepted on Heliövaara’s behalf by coach Boris Chernov. The prize was presented by ice hockey world champion and three-time Olympic medalist, Chairman of the Kaihari Foundation Raimo Helminen, together with Jari Porttila.
Second in the voting was NBA basketball player Lauri Markkanen, who led Finland to fourth place at the European Championships in the autumn. Third was Aleksander Barkov, captain of the NHL team Florida Panthers, whom he led to a Stanley Cup victory.
The Best Female Athlete of the Year was fifth-place heptathlete Saga Vanninen.
Sports journalists selected Lassi Tuovi, head coach of the Finnish men’s national basketball team, as Coach of the Year. Raimo Helminen, head coach of the SM-leaque ice hockey club SaiPa, finished second in the voting.
The Finnish men’s national basketball team, which placed fourth at the European Championships, was named Team of the Year, while basketball player Miikka Muurinen was selected as Young Athlete of the Year.
Cr-AIPS
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