ESPN The Magazine ranks the world's most beloved athletes using a proprietary formula. The Sports Analytics team of the company ranked 800 celebrities based on three factors: endorsement dollars, Google trend score, and social media followers. Peter Keating, senior journalist for the magazine explores why fame doesn't always mean success or popularity. You can make informed decisions about your favorite athlete by looking at the top 100 athletes around the globe.
Canelo
Saul "Canelo", Alvarez, is one of the best-paid athletes on the planet. He signed a $365 million, five-year deal with DAZN last year. His deal was the largest ever signed in sports history. Alvarez, 28 years of age, has won five champions, with three of them 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 set the gold standard for female swimming, and is widely considered to be the greatest female swimmer of all time. 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. She will be competing in the Tokyo 2020 Games as an Olympic gold medalist.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpe became a well-known basketball player in the year 2019. He also founded a basketball school in Athens (Greece), where he teaches. The AntetokounBros academy was founded to help underprivileged children play basketball. This program is for boys and girls aged 12-16 years old, as well as young athletes interested in coaching.
Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe may be the most well-known and respected athlete in the world. She is also known for her activism in the fight for equal compensation and racial equity. Rapinoe is the subject of numerous articles, including a recent New York Times article about the impact the CARES Act has had on Rapinoe. Below are just some of her achievements for 2019.
Biles
Simone Biles returned to the scene after a short post-Olympic hiatus. She enlisted Laurent and Cecile Landi as coaches and removed her rivals to keep her in the spotlight. It's unclear what her new relationship will look like, but it's exciting for us to see her progress. Biles revealed that she will be working as an executive producer and choreographer with Val Kondos Field, a former UCLA coach. Biles will also use video screens, pyrotechnics and an in-house DJ.