Alvaro Granados and Foteini Tricha capped extraordinary seasons by leading their nations to World Aquatics Championships gold medals in Singapore, and their performances have earned them the Water Aquatics Athletes of the Year awards for Water Polo.
Granados helped Spain reclaim their crown in the Men’s Tournament at the World Aquatics Championships, while Tricha delivered a breakthrough campaign as Greece captured their first Women's Tournament gold since 2011.
With the 2025 season complete, World Aquatics celebrates the sport's standout performers with the Athletes of the Year Awards, honouring those who defined the year in Water Polo.
Granados drives Spain to World Aquatics Championships gold
Granados was a key performer for Spain on their journey to World Aquatics Championships success in Singapore, and was crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Men’s Tournament in the process.
The Spanish star was unstoppable throughout the competition, finishing with 21 goals, including five in a thrilling 15-13 final victory over Hungary that saw Spain reclaim the world title they last won in Budapest 2022.
Despite his sensational individual displays, Granados was eager to credit his teammates after winning the MVP award.
“A lot of feelings are coming through. It’s difficult to describe, but if I have to summarise in one word, it must be ‘proud’. I’m proud of this group of people, proud of this team, how we managed after a very difficult year to come back and play amazing water polo. I’m super proud,” he said.
It was also a successful year for Granados in the World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo World Cup, as he helped Spain win the Division One tournament in Bucharest (ROU) in January and the Final in Podgorica (MNE) in April.
Tricha propels Greece to memorable victory in Singapore
Tricha finished as the Women’s Tournament’s top scorer with 25 goals in Singapore to help Greece end their 14-year wait for World Aquatics Championships glory.
Greece's path to gold was far from straightforward. After losing their opening Group C match to Hungary, Tricha’s prolific scoring helped them to reach the final, where they faced Hungary once more.
In a dramatic rematch, Tricha struck three times as Greece triumphed 12-9.
Her 25-goal haul cemented her status as the tournament's most dangerous player, yet Tricha remained focused on the team achievement rather than individual accolades.
“This doesn’t matter at all. I really care about the gold more,” she said.
“The goals are an outcome of the system of the team. Everyone’s passing, when the ball comes to me, I only think about what I have to do correctly. If it’s to shoot, then I shoot. It’s an outcome of the system and it’s a team effort. My teammates are great, they can find me easily.”
Reflecting on Greece's remarkable run, Tricha emphasised the standard her team had set: “We played really good in this tournament. We deserved this gold. The only thing that I can say is that we have to continue showing this standard. There are many teams that are really good. The championships was really competitive.”
Tricha had already tasted success with Greece earlier in 2025 when they captured the World Aquatics Women's World Cup Final in Chengdu (CHN), setting the stage for their historic triumph in Singapore.
Her year additionally included a bronze at the World Aquatics Women's U20 Water Polo Championships in Salvador (BRA).
Granados and Tricha stand as the 2025 World Aquatics Water Polo Athletes of the Year after leading their nations to World Aquatics Championships glory and delivering outstanding performances for their respective countries.