The ninth annual Laureus World Sports Awards was held in St Petersburg, Russia, on February 18, 2008. The Awards Ceremony, televised to a worldwide TV audience, was staged at The Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall.
The Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony brings together sporting celebrities past and present to honour the great achievements of the sports stars of today and is also a platform to showcase the work of the Laureus Sport Foundation, an humanitarian programme that operates on every continent and has improved the lives of over 150,000 young people since its inception.
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer was named Laureus Sportsman of the Year for the fourth straight time at the 2008 Awards ceremony after another superb year, which saw him once again win three Grand Slam in the season.
Tennis was the biggest winner in Saint Petersburg as Belgium’s Justine Henin won the Sportswoman of the Year award and Holland’s Esther Vergeer, the greatest wheelchair tennis star of all-time, took away the Laureus Disability trophy for the second time.
Two of the biggest names in British sport also have their hands on Laureus as Lewis Hamilton won the Breakthrough of the Year award after his remarkable debut season in Formula One, while long distance runner Paula Radcliffe had the Comeback of the Year award.

There has been many changes in the Top 10 ATP Rankings over the past four years. Players have come and gone, some bursting on the scene as a teenager while others have retired after an outstanding career.
But one ranking position has remained constant occupied by Roger Federer. Last weekend Federer reached the four year anniversary mark as the No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings.
It was Feb. 2, 2004 when the Swiss superstar claimed the top position in men’s tennis after winning his second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
For four years, or 210 weeks, Federer has been the only player to remain a constant fixture in the Top 10.
During Federer’s incredible streak at No. 1, the longest in professional tennis,
he has won 41 titles, including 13 ATP Masters Series and 10 Grand Slam crowns. Only another player has obtained excellent results but not comparable with Swiss performance - Rafael Nadal who with 23 titles, including 2 Grand Slams crows, has scaled from No. 40 four years ago to No. 2 of the ATP Ranking where the Spanish still remains and will try to be closer from the Swiss as soon as important events on clay commence – Monte Carlo, Barcelona (Godo), Rome, Hamburg and Roland Garros where Nadal feels very comfortable.