Hamilton is the most sought-after athlete in the world.

Hamilton is the most sought-after athlete in the world.

      SportsPro Media compiled a ranking of the world’s most in-demand athletes from a business perspective — and for the second time in history it was topped by Lewis Hamilton. The last time he led this ranking was in 2014.

      The 16th annual "50 Most In-Demand Athletes in the World" ranking by SportsPro features 12 sports (the largest numbers are footballers and basketball players) and athletes from 17 nationalities.

      Positions in the ranking were determined by three criteria — brand recognition, target audience, and economic indicators.

      In addition to Hamilton, two other Formula 1 drivers made the list — Charles Leclerc (25th) and Lando Norris (41st).

      Top ten of the ranking

      Athlete

       Age

       Sport

      

      1. Lewis Hamilton

       40

       Formula 1

      

      2. Simone Biles

       28

       Gymnastics

      

      3. Ilona Maher

       29

       Rugby

      

      4. Stephen Curry

       37

       Basketball

      

      5. Cristiano Ronaldo

       40

       Football

      

      6. Neymar

       33

       Football

      

      7. Caitlin Clark

       23

       Basketball

      

      8. LeBron James

       40

       Basketball

      

      9. Giannis Antetokounmpo

       30

       Basketball

      

      10. Coco Gauff

       21

       Tennis

      

      Michael Long, director of key projects at SportsPro: "The '50 Most In-Demand Athletes' ranking is a crucial barometer for the sports industry, accurately reflecting how the world’s leading athletes shape their commercial profile and brand influence each year."

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Hamilton is the most sought-after athlete in the world.

SportsPro Media compiled a ranking of the most in-demand athletes from a business perspective — Lewis Hamilton topped it for the second time in history...