Aryna Sabalenka named world’s most marketable athlete for 2026

Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has been ranked as the world’s most marketable athlete for 2026 by SportsPro, in partnership with NorthStar Solutions Group. The 28-year-old, a four-time Grand Slam champion, topped the 17th annual list of the 50 Most Marketable Athletes based on a scoring model evaluating brand equity, momentum, and commercial trajectory.

Sabalenka, who finished 2025 as the WTA top-ranked player for the second consecutive year, earned an estimated US$30 million in 2025 through tournament winnings and endorsements. Her brand partners include Nike, Wilson, Gucci, Emirates, Audemars Piguet, Whoop, and Stella Artois. She is the fourth woman and third tennis player to lead the ranking since its inception in 2010.

The top five for 2026 includes freestyle skier Eileen Gu, basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, footballer Erling Haaland, and tennis player Carlos Alcaraz. The study evaluated 1,202 athletes across 70 sports, with the United States having the highest number of representatives in the ranking.