The Top 100 Athletes of the 21st Century: Our Unanimous Selections
Hey there, sports fans! Are you ready to take a journey through the best athletes of the 21st century? From the world of soccer to basketball, tennis, and even esports, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our take on the top 100 athletes since 2000.
Honorable Mentions
We’re kicking things off with a few honorable mentions. At number 51, we have Steve Nash, the legendary point guard with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. He’s a two-time NBA MVP and an eight-time All-Star.
Coming in at number 52 is Adrian Beltré, the star third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s a five-time Gold Glove winner and a four-time All-Star.
Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees icon, takes the 53rd spot. He’s a five-time World Series champ and a 14-time All-Star.
And, of course, no discussion of tennis would be complete without Novak Djokovic, who claims the 57th spot. He’s a 22-time Grand Slam champion and has been ranked number one in the world a record 373 weeks.
The Top 100
Alright, now it’s time to dive into our top 100 athletes of the 21st century. Coming in at number 1 is… (drumroll, please)… Lionel Messi! The Argentine forward has won six Ballon d’Or awards and is the all-time leading scorer in La Liga.
Tom Brady, the legendary NFL quarterback, takes the second spot. He’s a seven-time Super Bowl champ and a four-time Super Bowl MVP.
LeBron James, the versatile NBA superstar, comes in at number 3. He’s a four-time NBA champ and a four-time NBA MVP.
Serena Williams, the dominant tennis player, takes the 4th spot. She’s a 23-time Grand Slam champion and has won four Olympic gold medals.
And Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis master, comes in at number 5. He’s a 20-time Grand Slam champion and has been ranked number one in the world for a record 310 weeks.
The Rest of the Top 100
We’ve got so many amazing athletes on this list, from golf legend Tiger Woods to basketball stars like Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo. We’ve got tennis pros like Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep, soccer players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović, and even athletes from esports like Johan "N0tail" Sundstein and Kuro "KuroKy" Takhasomi.
Methodology
Our expert panel used a unique methodology to determine the top 100 athletes of the 21st century. We asked each expert to vote on the top athletes in their sport, with the winners advancing to a bracket-style competition. We repeated this process multiple times, with more than 70,000 votes cast across the different sports.
What’s Next?
That’s it for our top 100 athletes of the 21st century! But we’re not done yet. Stay tuned for more articles and lists highlighting the best athletes and moments in sports. Follow us on all social media platforms for more updates and join the conversation using the hashtag #Top100Athletes.
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