ESPN The Magazine has established a proprietary formula that ranks the top athletes in the world. The Sports Analytics department of ESPN ranked 800 athletes based upon three factors that impact fame: Google trends score, endorsement dollars, and social media following. Peter Keating, senior journalist for the magazine explores why fame doesn't always mean success or popularity. This list of the 100 most successful athletes worldwide will help you make an educated decision about your favorite sportsman.
Canelo
Saul "Canelo” Alvarez is a top-paid athlete in the world. DAZN signed him a 5-year, $365m deal last year. His deal was the largest ever signed in sports history. Alvarez, a 28-year-old Mexican athlete, has won five titles, and three 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 is undoubtedly the best female athlete of all times. Ledecky has competed on the global stage almost a decade and won a record 15 golds medals. Ledecky also holds five world records and won five World Championships. Ledecky, who is also an Olympic medalist, will compete in Tokyo 2020 Games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the year 2019, Giannis Antetokounmpe has become famous as a basketball player. In his native Athens, Greece, he also started a basketball academy. AntetokounBros Academy was created to encourage basketball among children with limited opportunities. This program is for boys and girls aged 12-16 years old, as well as young athletes interested in coaching.
Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe has been a star athlete all over the world. She is well-known for her activism and fight for equality pay and racial injustice. Rapinoe has been featured in several articles about her activism, including a recent article in The New York Times on the impact of The CARES Act. These are just a handful of her accomplishments for 2019,
Biles
Simone Biles returned to the scene after a short post-Olympic hiatus. Her competitive rivals were removed and she sought out new coaches Laurent Landi, and Cecile Ländi to help her. While it isn't known exactly what her new relationship might look like, it's definitely exciting to see her make progress. Biles also said that she'll work with Val Kondos Field (ex-UCLA coach) as an executive producer, and as a supervising choreographer. Biles will also use video screens, pyrotechnics and an in-house DJ.