Ash Barty and swimming superstar Emma McKeon nominated for Laureus Sports awards

World-class efforts earn worldwide plaudits and a raft of Aussies have been nominated for the biggest sports awards on the planet.

Australian Open tennis champion Ash Barty and Olympic swimming hero Emma McKeon have been short-listed for one of the world’s biggest sporting awards.

The all-conquering duo are among the six final nominations for the prestigious Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award.

Another swimming superstar, Arianne Titmus, has been nominated in the Breakthrough of the Year after winning two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics that included defeating US legend Katie Ledecky.

Barty claimed her third grand slam trophy and stretched her lead on top of the world rankings when she ended a 44-year winning drought for Australians at Melbourne Park last weekend.

McKeon won seven medals at the Tokyo Olympics, including four gold, taking her tally to 11 Olympic medals, the most of any Australian in history.

Australian swimmer Emma McKeon won seven medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Both Barty and McKeon will have to beat Ledecky to win the award, with the American also on the final six nominations along with US athletics star Allyson Felix, Ballon d’Or winner and UEFA Women’s Player of Year Alexia Putellas and Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won gold in the Olympic 100m and 200m and 4x100m relay.

Novak Djokovic, who was controversially booted from Australia in January after his visa was cancelled, has been nominated for the male Sportsperson of the Year along with now-retired NFL great Tom Brady and F1 world champ Max Verstappen.

The Laureus awards are held in worldwide esteem as they are voted on by the Laureus World Sports Academy – the world’s ultimate sports jury – made up of 71 of the greatest sporting legends of all time.

Cathy Freeman (2001) is the only Australian to win the Sportswoman of the Year award, which last year was won by tennis star Naomi Osaka.

The award winners will be announced in April.