Aryna Sabalenka Tops 2026 Most Marketable Athletes List

Aryna Sabalenka leads the 2026 Most Marketable Athletes list. See where Shubman Gill, Ronaldo, and others rank. Full results and analysis.

In the 2026 edition of the Most Marketable Athletes list, Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has secured the premier position. This marks a significant achievement, making her the fourth woman and third tennis player to headline these rankings since their inception in 2010. Eileen Gu, an American-born freestyle skier, follows at second, with Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo rounding out the top three.

Indian cricketer Shubman Gill impressively landed at 13th place, outranking football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who is positioned at 14th. Gill has been identified as a potential future face of world cricket. Footballer Erling Haaland and tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz completed the top five.

The methodology for this year's list, powered by NorthStar, involved a 100-point Marketability Score derived from Brand Equity (45 points), Momentum (40 points), and Commercial Trajectory (15 points). Evidence was gathered from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, from an extensive pool of 1,202 athletes across 70 sports.

Notably, only five cricketers were featured this year, including Gill. Rishabh Pant ranked 26th, and Jemimah Rodrigues secured 31st place. Prominent Indian cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni did not make the top 50, with Dhoni ranking 83rd, Kohli 85th, and Rohit 90th.

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