The world tennis number one Rafael Nadal has been named world sportsman of the year at the Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi.
The American skier Lindsay Vonn picked up the women's award while the Spanish football side won the team award.
Nadal won 3 grand slam title last year to be given the awad ahead of footballers Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, basketballer Kobe Bryant and Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Vonn, who won her third straight World Cup and the Olympic downhill title in 2010 overcame a trio of women's tennis players Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki as well as athletics stars Jessica Ennis and Blanka Vlasic for the sportswoman prize.
Spain's World Cup winning football team made it a double for the Iberians by beating Mark Webber's Red Bull Racing Formula One outfit and the All Blacks for the world team of the year honour.
Surfer Kelly Slater's 10th world championship won the world action sportsperson gong.... the New Zealand freestyle motocross rider Levi Sherwood was a finalist in that category.
