Roger Federer and Serena Williams won the top honours at the 2018 Laureus sports awards held in Monaco on Tuesday.

The duo of Federer and Serena have been recognised for their achievements in 2017 when they both began the year with victories at the Australian Open.

Federer also won the prize for Comeback of the Year after going on to add a 19th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

“You guys are incredible athletes,” the 36-year-old Swiss told the audience in Monaco. “I’m very humbled to stand in front of you and receive this award.

“This means the world to me.”

Williams won the Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant and did not play again in 2017, with her daughter Alexis Olympia born on September 1st.

The 36-year-old American has been named Sportswoman of the Year for the fourth time, having previously won the award in 2003, 2010 and 2016.

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza was also nominated after winning her second Grand Slam title and reaching the number one ranking in 2017.

Federer won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award for four years in a row between 2005 and 2008, while Rafael Nadal won it in 2011 and Novak Djokovic in 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Nadal was among the six nominees this year after winning the French Open and US Open on his way to ending 2017 as world number one.

Ten years after he last won the award, Federer surpasses four-time winner Usain Bolt with a record fifth Laureus World Sportsman of the Year victory.