Aryna Sabalenka tops SportsPro’s 2026 list of most marketable athletes
Aryna Sabalenka has been named the most marketable athlete of 2026 on SportsPro’s 17th annual list, the publication announced on 2026-10-31. She scored 80.95 out of 100 after rising from 27th place the previous year.
SportsPro’s ranking measures commercial appeal rather than sporting trophies, using a 100-point system comprised of brand equity (45 points), momentum (40) and commercial trajectory (15). The list drew on evidence from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and evaluated 1,202 athletes across 70 sports. The methodology focuses on commercial pull across that 12-month window.
Eileen Gu finished second on the list, with Giannis Antetokounmpo third and Erling Haaland fourth. Six-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz was fifth and Alexander Zverev placed eighth after a season that included two major titles and a first-time rise to world number one. Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner appeared at 35th on the ranking.
Cristiano Ronaldo was 14th, ahead of Kylian Mbappé in 19th and Vinícius Júnior in 20th. SportsPro’s published top names additionally included Alysa Liu, Victor Wembanyama, Charles Leclerc and AJ Dybantsa among the broader list of 50 most marketable athletes.
Sabalenka scored 37.78 out of 45 for brand equity, boosted by partnerships with Gucci, Emirates and Moroccanoil. She is the fourth woman and the third tennis player to top SportsPro’s list since it began in 2010; previous winners named by the publication include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lewis Hamilton, Naomi Osaka and Genie Bouchard.
These rankings arrive despite a difficult year on court for Sabalenka. The 28-year-old has still won three titles this season, and her outspoken personality and distinctive presence have strengthened her appeal to sponsors and a wider audience.
She finished 2026 without a single major title and has slipped to World No. 2 in the WTA rankings, after Elena Rybakina took the No. 1 ranking following her heroics in New York. Forbes estimates Sabalenka will earn about $36.1 million in 2026, with $23 million of that from off-court activities.
