Tennis Star Sabalenka Tops Messi and Ronaldo as World's Most Marketable Athlete

Belarusian tennis sensation Aryna Sabalenka has been named the world's most marketable athlete of 2026, finishing ahead of global sporting icons including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The four-time Grand Slam champion climbed from 27th place last year to claim the top position in SportsPro's annual ranking.

Sabalenka's rise to the summit marks a significant achievement for the 28-year-old, who is currently ranked second in the WTA year-end standings. The Belarusian becomes only the fourth woman and third tennis player to top SportsPro's annual ranking since its introduction in 2010.

Her position reflects her growing commercial appeal following another successful period on the tennis circuit, where she has continued to establish herself among the sport's leading figures.

China's freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu occupies second place, followed by NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo in third.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is the highest-ranked footballer, taking fourth place, while tennis rival Carlos Alcaraz completes the top five.

The remainder of the top 10 features figure skater Alysa Liu, basketball sensation Victor Wembanyama, tennis player Alexander Zverev, Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc and American basketball prospect AJ Dybantsa.

Despite their enormous global profiles, several of football's biggest names finished outside the top 10.

Ronaldo occupies 14th place, ahead of Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé in 19th and Vinícius Júnior in 20th. Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal ranks 23rd, one position behind seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Neymar sits 24th, while NBA legend LeBron James dropped from eighth in 2025 to 26th. Messi follows in 27th place, with 2026 Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane ranked 45th.

Compiled in partnership with NorthStar Solutions Group, the 2026 ranking assessed 1,202 athletes across 70 sports. The evaluation considered three major factors: brand equity, current momentum and future commercial potential.

Sabalenka's rise from 27th to first place demonstrates the growing commercial influence of women's tennis, while the positions of Ronaldo and Messi show that sporting fame alone does not guarantee the top spot in the marketability rankings.