European Aquatics Athlete of the Year Awards 2025: Nona Perez voted best women’s water polo player
Spain’s Nona Perez has been crowned European Aquatics Women’s Water Polo Athlete of the Year, receiving 32.8% of the overall votes after a season that saw her establish herself among the very best in the sport.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a spectacular year at both club and international level, collecting major honours and delivering several decisive performances on the biggest of stages.
“It’s such an honour to receive this award, and I have to thank all my team-mates at Sant Andreu and Spain for helping me receive it,” said Perez after being presented with her trophy by Ms Stavroula Kozompoli, EA DRC Member. “We achieved a lot of great things together and we still want to continue to grow together.”
In May 2025, Perez reached the pinnacle of European club water polo by winning Champions League gold with Sant Andreu, playing a vital role in the club’s historic triumphant run in Athens, Greece, during the Final Four.
Her spectacular display in the final against defending champions and domestic rivals Astralpool CN Sabadell was the defining moment of the competition, as she fired in a stunning hat-trick to lead Sant Andreu to their first continental crown.
Perez carried that outstanding form into the international arena, where she was a key member of Spain’s bronze medal-winning squad at the World Championships in Singapore.
Consistently influential throughout the competition, Perez once again demonstrated her ability to perform under pressure and contribute at both ends of the pool.
Perez’s total minutes in each Spanish game also illustrate perfectly just how important she has become to her national team and how her coaches trust her brilliance in the pool to win games.
With this prestigious accolade, Perez becomes the seventh Spanish player to win the title in the history of the awards, following in the footsteps of Anni Espar (2012), Jennifer Pareja (2013), Maria Garcia (2014), Laura Ester (2017 and 2019), Bea Ortiz (2021 and 2024) and Judith Forca (2022).
Second place went to Greece’s Foteini Tricha, who received 26.4% of the votes after a sensational year in which she helped Greece lift both the World Cup and World Championships trophies – and she also finished as the latter tournament’s top scorer.
Hungary’s Rita Keszthelyi placed third with 21.8%, following a memorable season that saw her named Most Valuable Player at the World Championships as Hungary claimed the silver medal.
In fourth place, Greece captain Eleftheria Plevritou earned 9.5% of the votes after guiding her nation to World Cup and World Championships glory.
Completing the top five was Greece’s Ioanna Stamatopoulou, the World Championships’ Best Goalkeeper, who received 9.4% of the votes.
EUROPEAN AQUATICS WOMEN’S
WATER POLO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ALL-TIME WINNERS
2008: Danielle De Bruijn (Netherlands)
2009: Iefke van Belkum (Netherlands)
2010: Sofia Konukh (Russia)
2011: Alexandra Asimaki (Greece)
2012: Anni Espar (Spain)
2013: Jennifer Pareja (Spain)
2014: Maria Garcia (Spain)
2015: Roberta Bianconi (Italy)
2016: Roberta Bianconi (Italy)
2017: Laura Ester (Spain)
2018: Sabrina Van der Sloot (Netherlands)
2019: Laura Ester (Spain)
2021: Bea Ortiz (Spain)
2022: Judith Forca (Spain)
2023: Roberta Bianconi (Italy)
2024: Bea Ortiz (Spain)
2025: Nona Perez (Spain)
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