ESPN The Magazine has ranked the world's most popular athletes based on a proprietary formula. The Sports Analytics team from the company ranked 800 athletes on the basis of three factors that have an impact on fame: Google trend score and endorsement dollars. Peter Keating, a senior writer, explores why being famous doesn't necessarily mean being popular or loved. An overview of the world's top 100 athletes can help you make an informed choice about your favorite.
Canelo
Saul "Canelo” Alvarez is a top-paid athlete in the world. DAZN awarded him a $365 million contract for five years last year. His contract was one of the most significant in sports history. Alvarez (28 years old) has won five championships. Three of them were by knockout. He's also the highest-paid Mexican athlete and won the WBA regular super middleweight title.
Ledecky
American swimmer Katie Ledecky set the gold standard for female swimming, and is widely considered to be the greatest female swimmer of all time. Over the past ten years, she has competed in international swimming events and won a record fifteen gold medals. In addition to her Olympic golds, Ledecky holds five world records and has won five World Championships. She is also an Olympic gold-medallist and will compete in Tokyo 2020 Games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antitookounmpe, a professional basketball player, has made a name for himself in 2019. He has also established a basketball academy in Athens. AntetokounBros Academy was created to encourage basketball among children with limited opportunities. The program targets boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16, as well as young athletes who are interested in becoming coaches.
Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe has been a star athlete all over the world. Megan Rapinoe is also well-known for her activism, particularly in the fight for equal wages and racial justice. In fact, Rapinoe has been the subject of several articles, including a recent one in The New York Times about the impact of the CARES Act. Below are just some of her achievements for 2019.
Biles
Simone Biles returned to the sport in 2018, after taking a post-Olympic leave. To keep the spotlight on her, she hired Laurent Landi and Cecile Landi to be her coaches. She also removed her competition. Although it is not yet known how her new relationship will turn out, it's exciting to watch her grow. Biles also revealed that she'll be working with former UCLA coach Val Kondos Field as executive producer and supervising choreographer. She will also use video screens, lighting effects, and an in house DJ.