ESPN The Magazine has developed a proprietary formula for ranking the most famous athletes in the world. The Sports Analytics team at the company ranked 800 athletes using three factors that can influence fame: Google Trend Score, endorsement dollars and social network followers. Peter Keating, senior writer for the magazine, discusses why fame is not synonymous with success or being liked. It is possible to make an educated choice about your favorite athletes by taking a look at the top 100 world athletes.
Canelo
Saul "Canelo” Alvarez is a top-paid athlete in the world. DAZN signed him a 5-year, $365m deal last year. His contract was the longest in sports history. Alvarez (28 years old) has won five championships. Three of them were by knockout. Additionally, Alvarez is the highest-paid Mexican wrestler and has been awarded the WBA "regular' super middleweight title.
Ledecky
American swimmer Katie Ledecky has established the gold standard in female swimming and is considered the greatest female athlete ever. For almost a decade she has been competing on the international stage, winning an unprecedented 15 gold medals. Ledecky, in addition to her Olympic golds has five world records. She also won five World Championships. Ledecky is an Olympic gold medalist, and she will compete at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antotounmpe was a popular basketball player in 2019, according to Forbes. He has also launched a basketball academy in his hometown of Athens, Greece. AntetokounBros' academy was started to teach basketball to children from low income families. This program is open to boys and girls aged between 12-16, as well young athletes who wish to coach.
Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe is one of the most famous athletes in the world, and not just because of her stellar sporting career. Megan Rapinoe is also well-known for her activism, particularly in the fight for equal wages and racial justice. Rapinoe is the subject of numerous articles, including a recent New York Times article about the impact the CARES Act has had on Rapinoe. The following are just a few of her accomplishments in 2019.
Biles
After taking a post-Olympic break from the sport, Simone Biles was back on the scene in 2018. She enlisted Laurent and Cecile Landi as coaches and removed her rivals to keep her in the spotlight. Although it is not yet known how her new relationship will turn out, it's exciting to watch her grow. Biles also announced that she'll be working alongside former UCLA coach Val Kondos Field in the role of executive producer and supervising dancer. She'll also be using video screens, pyrotechnics, and an in-house DJ.