After Sportsman of the Year award, Roger Federer causes Laureus website crash
Monaco: Tennis star Roger Federer continued his exceptional 2018 on Tuesday as he bagged the Laureus Award for the Sportsman of the Year and Comeback of the Year, that saw him become the most decorated winner in the history of Laureus World Sports Awards.
With the double delight, the 20-time Grand Slam extended his Laureus Award tally to six, ever since it’s inception in 2002.
As the 36-year-old continued to make the headlines, organisers of the Laureus Awards had to bear the brunt of Federer’s success. The official Laureus website crashed down soon after the Swiss legend bagged the twin awards as millions of people visited the website to read about his success.
It’s only February but it has already been a sensational start to Federer’s year. He first successfully defended his Australian Open title and followed that up by clinching the Rotterdam Open title, that saw him become the oldest player to top the ATP Rankings.
The tennis legend praised his longtime rival, Rafael Nadal while receiving the award.
Ladies and gentlemen, your Laureus World Sportsman of the Year @rogerfederer!#Laureus18 pic.twitter.com/mcMLYNDXo2
— #Laureus18 (@LaureusSport) February 27, 2018
“Thank you to my rival Rafa. I wanted to give a shoutout to him. He had an unbelievable year himself. We had a great battle and it’s because of a guy like him, I think I’m a better player. He could very well be here tonight standing here with this award because he’s an incredible player, incredible friend and incredible athlete. It’s been an absolute privilege to take this award from the Laureus Academy. You know how much this means to me,” Federer said.
“It was an unforgettable year for me, to come back after a very difficult 2016, and these awards just make it even more memorable. When I won my first Laureus Award back in 2005, if you had said I would have ended up winning six I would not have believed you. It’s been an amazing ride,” he added.
