F1 GOAT Lewis Hamilton Went Head-to-Head With Tennis Titan Roger Federer – Only to Face Major Loss

2017 was the year that marked the start of Lewis Hamilton’s domination in Formula 1. He came back to win the championship after losing narrowly to teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016. The feat earned him a nomination for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2018, only to lose to tennis great Roger Federer.

Laureus Awards are considered to be the Oscars for sports. To earn a nomination is considered to be a massive achievement, let alone winning one. Imagine what an honor it must be when you compete against world athletes like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Roger Federer bagged the 2018 Laureus Awards

The 2018 edition of the prestigious Laureus Sportsman of the Year saw a steep competition. The nominations saw Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Mo Farah, Chris Froome, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lewis Hamilton. Calling it ‘intimidating’ would be a massive understatement.

Hamilton was coming on the back of a World Drivers’ Championship (WDC). However, it turned out to be insufficient to earn him the reputed accolade. Roger Federer won not one, but two Laureus trophies. Federer returned after a knee injury to win his 5th Australian Open and 8th Wimbledon title.

The achievement bagged him both the awards he was nominated for. He won the Sportsman of the Year award and the Comeback of the Year Award.

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Before the winners were announced, former F1 driver, David Coulthard, heaped praises on the then 4-time WDC winner Hamilton.

The Red Bull man showed his admiration for Lewis Hamilton

David Coulthard did not shy away from showering words of admiration for his fellow Briton. Reflecting on Hamilton’s 2017 season, he felt that the nomination was a well-deserved one.

He said, “Having been beaten by Nico Rosberg in 2016, it was important for Lewis to establish his authority as the No 1 driver in Formula One last year, and he certainly did that.”

“There were moments in 2017 when you thought his driving could not get any better,” he continued.

Reflecting on Hamilton’s WDC win despite not having the best start to the season, he said, “What I particularly liked was that, early on, when things were not going his way he and the Mercedes team regrouped, his driving remained patient and mature, and he eventually dominated the year.”

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Lewis Hamilton has won multiple Laureus until now. All most of them are of different categories. In 2007, he won the Breakthrough Award. In 2020, he shared the Sportsman of the year award with Lionel Messi. And in 2021, he bagged The Athlete Advocate of the Year Award.