Saravi proud of ‘milestone’ AIPS Athlete of the Year nomination
Iranian wrestler Mohammad-Hadi Saravi described his inclusion on the shortlist for the AIPS Best Male Athlete of the Year award as a “great honor,” saying he hopes to build on the “milestone in my career” with further success in future competitions.
The Greco-Roman standout was among 53 athletes nominated for the prestigious award, which was voted on by a record 836 members of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) from 121 countries.
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who shattered the world record four times over the past year, was the runaway winner of the poll. Nevertheless, Saravi said he was proud to see his name “on the same list as football stars such as Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Mohamed Salah and Lamine Yamal, as well as other prominent champions from various sports.”
“I am grateful to God that this important milestone came during my career. As a representative of Iranian wrestling and sport, I have been nominated for one of the world’s most prestigious international sports awards – an honor decided by leading sports media from around the globe,” Saravi was quoted as saying on the official website of the Iranian Wrestling Federation.
“On the path I began, I am thankful that it has been accompanied by world and Olympic titles, and today my name, as an Iranian and a representative of our country’s wrestling, stands among the greats of world sport.
“I hope the successes I have achieved in recent years will continue, and that I can remain a worthy representative of the dear people of Iran on various sporting stages. I sincerely thank my fellow Iranians for their support regarding this nomination.”
An Olympic gold medalist in Paris last year, Saravi proved to be the wrestler to beat in the 97kg category, posting a 10-0 record en route to gold medals at three major tournaments in 2025, including the world title in September.
He opened the international season with a dominant run at the Asian Championships in March, claiming three superiority victories without conceding a single point to secure the third continental gold of his career.
Saravi then defeated Russia’s Artur Sargsian, competing as a neutral athlete, 3-1 in the final in Zagreb to claim his second world gold after his 2021 triumph, before rounding out the season with a 5-1 victory over Azerbaijan’s Murad Ahmadiyev in the final of the Islamic Solidarity Games in November.
The gold-laden season earned Saravi a nomination for the UWW Most Dominant Greco-Roman Wrestler of 2025 award, though he ultimately lost out to fellow Iranian world and Olympic champion Saeid Esmaeili.
Behind Duplantis in the poll was Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, who captured a Tour-leading eight titles in 2025, including two Grand Slams at Roland Garros and the US Open, and finished the season as world No. 1 with a Tour-best 71 match wins.
French forward Dembélé placed third after a fairytale 2024/25 campaign in which he won six major trophies with Paris Saint-Germain, including Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League, while also claiming the Ballon d’Or and The Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
The AIPS Best Female Athlete of the Year award went to Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmatí, followed by Kenyan long-distance runner Beatrice Chebet and Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka.